BX  7231  .R6 

Rossr  Abel  Hastzings ,  1831- 

1893. 
The  church-kingdom 


THE   CHURCH-KINGDOM: 


LECTURES   ON   CONGREGATIONALISM, 


DELIVERED 


ON  THE   SOUTHWORTH   FOUNDATION    IN    THE   ANDOVER 
THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,   1882-86. 


BY 

A.    HASTINGS    ROSS, 


PASTOR  OF  THE   FIRST  CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH,   PORT   HURON,   MICHIGAN; 
LECTURER    IN   THE  OBERLIN  THEOLOGICAL    SEMINARY,  AND  AUTHOR 
OF  THE  "OHIO   MANUAL,"   "THE  CHURCH   OF  GOD:   A  CATE- 
CHISM,"  AND  "THE   POCKET   MANUAL." 


BOSTON   AND   CHICAGO: 
CONGREGATIONAL  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  AND  PUBLISHING  SOCIETY. 


Copyright,  iSSj,  hy 
Congregational  Sunday-School  and  Publishing  Society. 


It  Bhould  be  understood  that,  in  issuing  theological  books,  the 
Congregational  Sunday-School  and  Publishing  Society  is  not  to  be 
held  as  approving  every  principle  and  opinion  advanced  in  them. 


PREFACE. 


During  the  present  century  there  has  been  a  wonderful  movement 
among  Christian  nations  towards  equality  in  all  things.  The  laborer, 
the  citizen,  the  layman,  are  coming  to  the  front,  and  the  future  is 
theirs.  Freedom  is  in  the  air.  Wild  theories  of  brotherhood  and 
socialism  are  freely  promulgated.  To  this  whole  movement  questions 
of  government,  in  order  to  liberty  and  security,  are  fundamental. 
The  churches,  busy  as  never  before  with  the  evangelization  of  the 
world,  feel  this  ground-swell  of  re-adjustment,  and  are  freeing  them- 
selves from  bondage  to  the  State,  that  they  may  teach  the  root-prin- 
ciples of  all  government.  And  the  movement  is  back  towards  the 
liberty  and  unity  of  the  primitive  churches,  with  their  equality  and 
care  for  the  people.  It  is  coming  to  be  felt  that  this  world  was  not 
made  for  the  few  but  for  the  many ;  that  the  welfare  of  the  people 
is  above  the  pleasure  of  the  rich  or  the  ambition  of  the  ruler.  Tliis 
movement  can  not  be  stayed;  it  may  be  guided.  And  believing  that 
Christ  Jesus  our  Loi-d  put  into  his  churches  not  only  equality  but 
also  brotherhood,  —  love  of  our  neighbor,  —  we  find  in  their  govern- 
ment a  model  for  the  future  State.  To  cast  a  handful  of  salt  into 
the  bitter  fountain  of  human  passion  already  flowing,  we  publish 
these  Lectures. 

The  title  may  seem  strange,  but  it  expresses  better  than  an>  other 
the  contents  of  the  Lectures.  Christ  dwelt  largely  on  "the  king- 
dom," which  became  his  Church  and  which  is  still  coming.  Hence 
organized  and  manifested  Christianity  is  this  very  kingdom  of  heaven 
coming.  The  Church  is  the  human  side  of  the  kingdom,  and  the 
kingdom  is  the  divine  side  of  the  Church.  In  other  words,  the 
Church  is  the  kingdom  in  manifestation.  From  this  central  point, 
pohty  has  been  considered  in  these  Lectures;  for  which  no  better 
name  could  be  found  than  The  Church-Kingdom.  Whether  we  have 
given  all  the  elements  of  this  divine  institution  or  not,  and  whether 
we  have  treated  them  in  their  normal  relations  or  not,  we  must  leave 
it  with  others  to  judge.  We  can  only  add  that  we  have  desired  to 
cover  all  the  elements  and  to  give  their  normal  development. 


vi  THE   CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

If  our  view  of  the  origin  of  polities  be  correct,  the  divisions  in 
Christendom  have  more  honorable  foundations  than  many  have  sup- 
posed. But  the  same  view  of  their  origin  presents  also  the  stubborn 
obstacles  which  must  be  overcome  before  those  divisions  can  emerge 
in  ecumenical  unity. 

A  special  call  for  a  full  discussion  of  Congregationalism  is  found 
in  the  action  of  the  last  National  Council  (1886)  respecting  ministe- 
rial standing  and  the  pastorate  (§  124:  8).  The  inadequacy  of 
ordaining  and  installing  councils  to  secure  purity  has  led  the  churches 
to  turn  to  ministerial  standing  in  associations  of  churches  or  confer- 
ences as  an  adequate  safeguard  easily  applied.  But  in  the  transition 
from  one  safeguard  to  another,  there  is  danger  lest  some  abnormal 
principle  or  practice  be  introduced  which  shall  work  evil.  It  is  hoped 
that  the  following  discussion  may  be  helpful  in  avoiding  this  danger, 
and  at  the  same  time  assist  in  securing  uniformity  in  principle  and 
practice  among  the  free  churches  of  Christendom.  The  one  doctrine 
of  the  Christian  Church  has  but  one  constitution  that  is  noi-mal, 
whatever  incidental  peculiarities  national  life  may  give  it. 

All  who  understand  the  significance  of  the  action  of  the  National 
Council,  above  referred  to,  will  exonerate  the  Congregational 
Sunday-School  and  Publishing  Society  from  all  i-esponsibility  for 
views  deemed  peculiar  to  any  portion  of  our  churches,  that  may 
appear  in  these  Lectures. 

We  have  given  to  this  doctrine  of  the  Church  an  ecumenical  com- 
prehension, hoping  that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  a  general 
council  of  free  churches  throughout  the  world,  including  especially 
mission  churches,  shall  be  held  in  London,  at  the  call  of  our  English 
brethren,  to  confer  upon  all  matters  of  faith  and  polity. 

These  Lectures  were  given  in  the  Andover  Theological  Seminary 
in  1883,  1885,  and  1886,  on  the  Southworth  Foundation,  and  are  an 
enlargement  of  the  Lectures  given  in  the  Oberlin  Theological 
Seminary  since  1872,  and  outlined  in  the  Pocket  Manual. 

We  ask  the  blessing  of  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church  and  the  King 
of  the  kingdom  upon  this  humble  attempt  to  present  the  principles 
and  development  of  liis  Church-kingdom. 

A.  HASTINGS  ROSS. 
Port  Huron,  Michigan,  1887. 


CONTENTS. 


LECTURE  I. 

PAGK 

§  1.  The  scope  of  these  Lectures  is  the  Church  of  God 1 

§  2,  Limited  to  outward  forms,  instead  of  the  inner  life 2 

§  3.  Polity  largely  fashions  doetnnes 2 

§  4.  Forms  in  wliich  the  Church  has  appeared 3 

§  5.  Christendom  divided  over  the  visibility  of  the  Church 4 

§  6.  Definition  of  the  Church  of  God , 5 

I.  The  Patriarchal  Dispensation. 

§  7.   Origin  of  society  in  the  family 6 

§  8.   Antiquity  of  this  dispensation 6 

§  9.   Beginnings  of  the  Cliurcli  of  God 6 

§  10.   The  Church  continued  to  the  Exodus 7 

§  11.  The  simple  form  of  the  Patriarchal  dispensation 8 

(1)  The    Sabbath.     (2)  Sacrifices.     (3)  The    Priesthood. 
(4)  Initiatory  rite :  when  introduced.     (5)  Creed. 

§  12.  This  form  not  unifying 9 

§  13.   Nor  did  it  conserve  piety 9 

§  14.  Little  separation  between  saints  and  sinners 10 

II.  The  Ceremonial  Dispensation. 

§  15.   Developed  out  of  the  preceding  dispensation  through  a  family 

covenant 11 

§  IG.  This  covenant  did  not  rigidly  separate  between  the  good  and 

the  bad 12 

§  17.  The  law  followed  the  renewal  of  the  covenant 12 

§  18.  The  worship  being  national,  tended  to  unity 12 

§  19.   The  priesthood  national  and  exclusive 13 

§  20.   The  ritual  minute  and  inflexible 13 

§  21.   The  creed  of  this  dispensation 14 

§  22.   The  dispensation  a  Theocracy 14 

§  23.    It  honored  the  family 15 

§  24.   This  church  form  unifying 15 

§25.   Origin  of  synagogues  in  the  inadequacy  of  this  dispensation 

for  an  ecumenical  religion 16 

§  2G.  This  dispensation  superseded 16 


Viii  THE  CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

§  27.  Yet  not  wholly  set  aside 17 

(1)  Attempted    return    to    the   family    Church.     (2)  At- 
tempted return  to  the  national  Church. 

§28.  Keforms  to  become  permanent  must  have  two  elements  —  a 

religious  element  and  an  ecclesiastical  element 18 

§  29.  The  permanent  separated  from  the  transient 19 


LECTURE  II. 
III.    The  Christian  Dispensation. 
I.     The  Kingdom  of  Heaven. 
§30.   The    kingdom,    the    foundation    of    the    Christian    Church, 

neglected  by  writers  on  Congregationalism 21 

§  31.   The  kingdom  already  set  up  in  the  world 22 

(1)  Its  establishment  predicted.  (2)  A  forerunner  of  it 
sent.  (3)  The  gospel  —  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom.  (4) 
The  kingdom  preached.  (5)  Set  up  in  that  generation.  (6) 
Put  in  contrast  with  the  Ceremonial  dispensation.  (7)  The 
command  to  evangelize  the  world  rests  on  Christ's  assump- 
tion of  royal  power. 

§  32.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  defined 24 

Its  elements  are :  (1)  Loyalty.  (2)  Unity.  (3)  Holiness. 
(4)  Invisibility.  (5)  Infallibility.  (6)  Perpetuity.  (7)  Uni- 
versality.    (8)  Equality  among  subjects. 

§  33.   These  notes  distinguish  this  kingdom  from  all  others 27 

§  34.   Conditions  of  admission  also  help  to  define  it 28 

§  35.   The  kingdom  distinguislied  from  the  (^hurch  universal 28 

§  3G.   The  kingdom  partly  on  earth  and  partly  in  heaven 29 

II.     The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  in  Manifestation. 

§  37.   It  must  appear  in  life  and  continued  organism 30 

(1)  The  Ceremonial  dispensation  organically  bound  to  the 
Patriarchal.     (2)  The     Christian     dispensation     organically 
bound  to  the  Ceremonial. 
§  38.   Its  development  into  organic  manifestation  not  understood  by 

the  Jews 31 

§39.   The  true  Israel  perpetuated  through  Christ's  disciples:  the 

remnant 32 

§  40.   The  transition  rejected  and  retained  much  of  the  old  dispensa- 
tion    33 

§  41.   It  retained  the  synagogue  form  of  worship 34 

(1)  The  synagogue  originated  in  a  religious  want.  (2)  It 
met  a  universal  need.  (3)  Its  worship  was  local,  congre- 
gational, weekly,  lay.  (4)  It  could  be  carried  and  conducted 
anywhere  —  ecumenical. 


CONTENTS.  ix 

§  42.   The  kingdom  chiefly  manifested  in  and  through  local  churches.  36 
(1)  The  Holy  Spirit  uses  fellowship  as  the  channel  of 
blessing.     (2)  Hence  the  apostles  planted  churches  every- 
where.    (3)  Churches   ever  appear  wherever  the  kingdom 
extends. 

§  43.    Fellowship  unites  these  churches  in  associations 38 

§  44.  Therein  church  polity  arises  in  one  of  four  radical  forms 39 

§  45.   Polity  has  a  nobler  origin  than  bigotry,  ambition,  or  corrup- 
tion, in  theories  of  the  Christian  Church 41 

LECTUEE   III. 

THE  ROMAN  CATHOLIC   AND   THE   EPISCOPAL   THEORY   OF   THE 
CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

§  46.   Early  change  in  thought  and  language,  as  the  kingdom  became 

visible  in  churches 42 

§  47.  The  true  relation  of  churches  to  the  kingdom  expi'essed  by  one 

theory,  not  by  many 43 

§48.   Theories  reduced  each  to  its  constitutive  principle  and  its 

development 45 

1.    The  Papal  Theory  of  the  Christian  Church. 

§  49.    Its  imposing  nature  —  Macaulay 46 

§  50.   Its  origin  in  confounding  the  visible  and  the  invisible  Church  •  47 
(1)  This  confusion   seen  in   Ignatius,   Irenseus,    Cyprian. 

(2)  The  confusion  born  naturally  of  the  Ceremonial  dis- 
pensation.    (3)  Its  removal  would  have  prevented  the  Papacy. 

(4)  The  distinction  between  the  visible  and  the  invisible 
Church  of  the  utmost  present  practical  value.  (5)  To  con- 
fusion in  thought  must  be  added  the  primacy  of  St.  Peter. 
(6)  Also  an  environment  favoring  papal  pretensions. 

§  51.   The  Papal  Theory  stated 51 

§  52.   Its  constitutive  principle  —  not  infallibility  —  but 52 

(1)  Infallible  primacy.     (2 J  Not  determined  until    1870. 

(3)  The  principle  active  and  passive. 

§  53.    This  principle  developed  in  an  infallible  system 53 

(1)  Covering  doctrine,  rites,  worship,  morals.  (2)  Under 
the  Pope  as  supreme  ruler  on  earth. 

§  54.  Proofs  on  which  the  system  rests 55 

§  55.   Observations  on  the  Theory 56 

(1)  It  is  a  living  power.  (2)  It  can  not  be  assailed  by  ar- 
gument. (3)  It  can  not  be  reformed.  (4)  Its  alternative  is 
victory  or  death.— Syllabus  of  Errors  and  Papal  Infallibility. 

(5)  The  Roman  Catholic  churches  reformable  when  the 
Papacy  perishes.  (6)  If  the  Papacy  should  prevail,  it 
could  express  the  unity  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 


X  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

II.    The  Episcopal  Theory  of  the  Christian  Church. 

§  56.    This  Theory  older  thau  the  Papal 59 

§  57.   Origin  of  the  Theory,  in  presiding  presbyters 59 

§  58.   The  Theory  stated 62 

§  59.   Its  constitutive  principle.  —  Apostolic  succession 62 

§  60.   Alleged  proof  of  it 63 

§  61.   Develops  into  a  minute  and  exclusive  system 64 

§  62.   Different  Episcopal  Churches 65 

(1)  The  Greek  Church.  (2)  The  Anglican  Church.  (3) 
The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  (4)  The  Moravian 
Brethren. 

§  63.   Observations  on  the  Episcopal  Theory 67 

(1)  It  is  a  system  of  government.  (2)  It  is  aggressive  and 
exclusive.  (3)  Only  the  Greek  Church  in  it  claims  in- 
fallibility.    (4)  It  is  an  incomplete  system,  not  ecumenical. 

LECTURE  rV^ 

THE  PRESBYTERIAL   AND   THE  CONGREGATIONAL   THEORY  OF  THE 
CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

III.    The  Presbyterian  Theory  of  the  Christian  Church. 
§  64.   This  theory  in  its  elements  older  than  the  Episcopal,  but  later 

in  formril  statement 70 

§  65.   Origin  of  the  Theory 71 

§  (56.   The  Theory  stated 71 

§67.   Its  constitutive  principle  —  Authoritative  Rejiresentation 72 

§  68.   Developed  into  the  following  system  :     72 

(1)  Particular  or  local  churches.  (2)  Church  Sessions. 
(3)  Presbyteries.  (4)  Synods.  (5)  General  Assemblies. 
(Q)  Presbyterian  Alliance,  ecumenical.  (a)  Its  Powers. 
(h)  Its  foreign  principle. 

§  69.  The  claimed  proof  of  this  system 75 

§  70.   This  system  embraces : 76 

(1)  The  Presbyterian  Churches.  (2)  The  Methodist 
Churches;  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  mixed  and  un- 
stable. 

§  71.   Observations  on  tlie  Presbyterian  Theory 77 

(1)  It  is  a  simple,  consistent,  incomplete  system.  (2)  It 
is  not  dependent  on  lay  ruling  elders.  (3)  It  does  not  claim 
infallibility.     (4)  It  is  reformable,  if  proved  unscriptural. 

IV.    The  Congregational  Theory  of  the  Christian  Church. 

§  72.   This  Theory  the  oldest  in  principle,  but  the   latest   in  full 

development 79 

§  73.   The  Theory  stated  79 


CONTENTS.  xi 

§  74.   Its  constitutive  principle  — Independence  under  Christ  of  the 

local  church  '• 80 

§  75;   Its  developed  system 81 

(1)  The  local  church  of  believers.  (2)  These  churches  in 
fellowship.  (3)  Associated  in  occasional  councils.  (4) 
Associated  in  bodies  meeting  statedly,  (a)  District  Asso- 
ciations of  churches,  (h)  State  Associations  of  churches. 
(c)  National  Associations  of  churches,  {d)  An  Ecumenical 
Association  of  churches  (not  yet  formed). 

§  76.  This  Theory  embraces  all  Independents  or  Congregationalists, 

Baptists,  most  Lutherans,  and  some  others 83 

§  77.   Proof  of  the  Theory S3 

§  78.   Observations  on  the  Congregational  Theory 83 

(1)  It  develops  a  simple,  consistent,  comprehensive  system. 
(2)  It  is  not  infallible.  (3)  It  is  a  living  and  revolutionary 
Theory. 

V.    Comparison  of  these  Four  Theories  of  the  Christian 

Church. 
§  79.   They  are  the  only  simple  Theories  of  the  Christian  Church. . . .  84 

§  80.   These  Theories  are  mutually  exclusive 85 

§81.   Each  Theory  is  capable  of  becoming  ecumenical   in  compre- 
hension    87 

§  82.   Their  influence  on  civil  government,  giving  liberty  or  tyranny. 
—  Papacy,  Episcopacy,  the  Puritans,  both  Presbyterian  and 

Congregationalist 88 

§  83.   Eacli  Tlieory  determines  the  activities  of  its  adherents 93 

§  84.  The  utility  of  this  divine  evolution  of  Ecclesiastical  systems, 

a  forecast  of  the  outcome 94 

LECTURE  V. 

the  doctrine  of  the  christian  church. 

Materials.  —  Constitutive  Principle. 

§  85.  Recapitulation  of  the  chief  points  reached 97 

The  Doctrine  of  the  Christian  Church. 

§  86.  Explanation  of  terms 9S 

§  87.   Confusion  through  various  standards  of  belief 98 

I.    The  Materials  of  the  Christian  Church. 

§  88.   Definition  of  the  term  "  materials  "' 100 

§  89.    Materials  of  the  Patriarchal  Church    100 

§90.   Materials  of  the  kahal,  or  the  Ceremonial  Church   100 

§  91.   Materials  of  the  Jewish  synagogue 101 

Excommunication  from  kahal  and  synagogue. 


xii  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

§  92.   Materials  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven 102 

§93.   Materials  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  —  Church  and  kingdom: 

how  differ  103 

§  94.   Materials  of  local  churches 104 

(1)  The  manifestation  and  the  thing  manifested  need  to 
correspond.  (2)  The  New  Testament  confirms  this  principle, 
(a)  Churches  addressed  as  holy,  {b)  Spiritual  conditions  of 
membership  required,  (t)  Baptism  symbolizes  a  changed 
life.  (cZ)  A  credal  test  required,  (f)  Purity  through  church 
discipline.  (/)  Wide  difference  between  a  church  and  its 
congregation.     (3)  The  apostolic  churches  confirm  the  same. 

§95.  This  argument  not  invalidated  by  imperfections.     Nor   by 

infant  baptism 108 

§  96.   This  position  a  development    108 

II.    The  Relation  of  one  Local  Church  to  Other  Local 
Churches. 

§  97.  All  local  churches  spiritually  one  and  inseparable 109 

§  98.   This  unity  makes  each  independent  of  the  rest 110 

§99.   The  rule  of  discipline  rests  on  this  normal  relation Ill 

(1)  The  "  church  "  in  Matt.  18:  17  the  local  church,  (a) 
It  was  not  the  company  of  believers  before  Pentecost.  (6) 
It  was  not  the  Jewish  synagogue,  (c)  The  rule  not  given 
for  Ceremonial  Dispensation.  (fZ)  It  was  given  to  local 
churches.  (2)  The  action  of  the  local  church  final.  (3) 
Its  finality  confirmed  by  "■binding"  and  "loosing."' 
§100.   The  election  of  officers  rests  on  the  independence  of  each 

church 114 

(1)  The  election  of  an  apostle.  (2)  The  election  of  the 
seven  almoners,  or  deacons.  (3)  The  election  of  delegates. 
(4)  The  election  of  elders,  or  presbyters, 

§  101.   Their  general  relations  indicate  their  independence 116 

§  102.   They  thus  follow  their  model,  the  synagogue 117 

§  103.   The  Apostolic  Fathers  confirm  this  independence    118 

III.    The  Primitive  Churches  not  Subordinate  to  Any  Central- 
ized Ecclesiastical  Authority. 

§  104.   Their  spiritual  unity  seeks  visible  union  under  Christ    119 

§  105.   Eeasons  whj^  the  ecdesia  dropped  the  authority  of  the  kahal  ..119 
(1)  The  authority  of  the  kahal  in  the  ceremonial  law  ful- 
filled and  abolished.     (2)  The  authority  of  the  kahal  in  the 
state  abolished  in  the  ecdesia.     (3)  The  ecdesia  thus  stripped 
of  authority. 

§  106.   Hence  the  churches  not  subject  to  an  Infallible  Primate 121 

§  107.   The  churches  not  subject  to  an  Episcopate 123 

§  108.   The  churches  not  subject  to  a  Presbytery  or  General  Assemblyl25 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

§  109.  The  independence  of  the  primitive  churches  conceded 126 

§110.   Authority  beyond  itself  not  an  element  of  any  ecclesia,  but 

instead  independence 128 

(1)  Congregationalism  therefore  follows.  (2)  The  only 
escape  is  in  other  standards  than  the  Bible.  (3)  The  Presby- 
terians have  no  such  escape.  (4)  The  evolution  of  Congre- 
gationalism has  the  promise  of  the  future. 

LECTURE  VI. 
the  doctrine  of  the  christian  church. 
The  Christian  Ministry. 
§111.  The  ministry  precedes  the  churches,  and  is  not  an  official 

relation 131 

§  112.   The  Christian  ministry  not  a  priesthood 132 

(1)  A  priest  is  one  who  otters  sacrifices.  (2)  Christ  the 
Christian's  Priest  and  High  Priest.  (3)  He  absorbed  and 
abolished  the  priesthood.  (4)  A  priesthood  and  mass  im- 
peach Christ's  atonement. 
§113.  The  ministry  of  the  Word  a  function  of  the  Church-kingdom.  134 
(1)  The  ministerial  function  not  exclusive.  (2)  The  min- 
istry prepared  and  called  by  Christ.  (3)  Recognition  of  the 
divine  call  in  ordination  distinguishes  the  ministry  from  the 
laity.  (4)  The  ministry  in  what  sense  independent  of  the 
churches.  (5)  The  ministry  not  prelatical.  (6)  The  min- 
istry a  special  and  a  permanent  function. 

I.  The  Temporary  Ministry  of  the  Word. 

§  114.  The  apostles  of  our  Lord 138 

§  115.   The  qualifications  of  the  apostles 138 

(1)  Personal  selection  by  Christ.    (2)  Personal  instruction 

by  Christ.     (3)  Inspiration  by  the  Holy  Spirit.     (4)  Special 

miraculous  power.     (5)  Special  authority.     (6)  Equality  in 

rank  and  order. 

§  116.  The  apostolate  temporary 140 

(1)  Its  special  nature  proves  its  temporary  nature.    (2)  Its 

qualifications    not    continued.      (3)  No    successors    of    the 

apostles.     (4)  Church  organization   completed    during    the 

apostolate. 

§  117.  The  Prophets 142 

(1)  Distinguished  from  the  Old  Testament  prophets.     (2) 

Had  the    gift    of    inspired    utterance.     (3)  Their    ministry 

temporary. 

II.  The  Permanent  Ministry  of  the  Word. 

§  118.   This  ministry  called  by  different  names  143 

(1)  Teachers.  —  Three  lists  of  ministers.    (2)  Evangelists, 


xiv  THE  CHUECH-  KINGDOM. 

or  missionaries.  (3)  Elders,  or  presbyters.  (4)  Bishops  the 
same  as  elders  and  pastors.  (5)  Pastors,  shepherds.  (6) 
Rulers  in  the  churches.  (7)  Leaders,  chiefs.  (8)  "The 
angels  of  the  churches." 

§  119.  The  qualifications  of  the  Permanent  Ministry 147 

(1)  Personal  character.  (2)  Personal  reputation.  (3) 
Domestic  relations.  (4)  Natural  and  spiritual  gifts.  (5) 
Preparation  and  study.     (6)  Examples  to  the  people. 

§  120.   Provision  for  the  perpetuity  of  the  ministry 149 

§  121.   The  ministry  recognized  in  ordination 150 

(1)  Ordination  of  some  sort  to  be  expected.  (2)  Ordina- 
tion by  imposition  of  hands  and  prayer.  (3)  Significance  of 
ordination.  (4)  Ordination  an  ecclesiastical  recognition  of 
the  ministerial  function,  not  of  the  pastorate.  (5)  Ordination 
is  by  the  churches.  (6)  Ordination  confers  no  special  gift  or 
grace. 

§122.   The  ministerial  standing  of  the  ordained.  —  Meaning  of  the 

term 154 

§  123.   All  communions  hold  to  ministerial  standing.  —  Congregation- 

alists   155 

§  124.   Where  ministerial  standing  should  be  held 157 

(1)  Not  in  the  civil  courts.  (2)  Not  in  local  churches. 
(3)  Not  in  a  council  of  churches.  (4)  Not  in  unassociated 
churches.  (5)  Not  in  ministerial  associations.  (6)  But  in 
associations  of  churches.  (7)  Standing  therein  safe  and 
essential.  (S)  Ministerial  standing  recognized  by  the  Na- 
tional Council. 

§125.  This  ministerial  standing  protects  and  completes  our  polity.. 163 

LECTURE   VII. 
the  doctrine  of  the  christian  church. 
The  Churches  and  their  Officers. 
§126.   Meaning   of  the  words   "church"'   and   "churches"    in  the 

New  Testament.     Acts  9  :  31  no  exception 166 

(1)  It  may  mean  the  scattered  church  of  Jerusalem,  or  (2) 
It  may  mean  the  whole  body  of  believers,  "  the  holy  Catholic 
Church." 

§  127.   The  city  churches  severally  one  congregation 168 

(1)  Many  converted  at  Pentecost  returned  home.  (2)  May 
have  met  in  several  places  for  worship.  (3)  Under  the  same 
officers.     (4)  Consistent  with  Congregationalism. 

§  128.   Definition  of  a  local  church 170 

^  129.   A  church  not  a  voluntary  society 171 

§  130.   Members  in  a  church  on  an  equality 171 


CONTENTS.  XV 

Church  Officers. 

§  131.     Church  elders  or  pastors 172 

(1)  Their  appointment  by  the  church.  (2)  A  plurality  in 
every  primitive  church.  (3)  Duties  of  church  elders  or 
bishops.  (4)  Elders  have  a  twofold  membership  —  as  Chris- 
tians —  as  ministers.  (5)  Their  accountability  also  twofold. 
—  Their  church  accountability.  (6)  Inauguration  into  the 
pastorate.  —  Installation. 

§  132.  Deacons,  or  the  ministry  of  tables 178 

(1)  Origin  of  the  office.  (2)  Duties  of  deacons.  (3)  A 
lay  office.  (4)  Qualifications  for  the  diaconate.  (5)  Dea- 
cons should  be  ordained.  (6)  Their  authority  one  of  func- 
tion.    (7)  Elected  sometimes  for  a  term  of  years. 

§  133.   Ruling  elders 181 

(1)  Two  theories  of  the  ruling  eldership  —  ministerial  and 
lay.  (2)  Duties  of  ruling  elders  under  each  theory.  (3) 
The  primitive  ruling  elders  ministers.  —  No  lay  elders  in  the 
New  Testament.     (4)  Theory  of  lay  eldership  falling. 

§  134.   Need  of  a  board  of  rulers  in  a  church 184 

§  135.   How  Scripturally  met. —  A  Church  Board 185 

§  136.   Duties  of  such  Church  Board 186 

§  137.   The  church  clerk 186 

(1)  Qualifications  for  the  office.  (2)  The  duties  of  the 
clerk. 

§  138.   The  church  treasurer 187 

(1)  A  perpetual  need  makes   the  office  permanent.     (2) 
Qualifications  of  a  treasurer.     (3)  Duties  of  a  church  treas- 
urer and  of  a  parish  treasurer. 
§  139.   Special  church  committee.  —  Sunday-school  superintendent . .  •  189 

§  140.   Church  officers  rulers  in  a  church 190 

(1)  Church  can  remove  them.     (2)  No  officer  has  the  right 
of  veto. 
§141.   Church  officers  guides  of  the  church 191 

LECTUEE  VIII. 

the  doctrine  of  the  christian  church. 

Worship  and  Sacraments. 

§  142.   Worship  essential  to  the  idea  of  a  church 194 

§  143.   The  nature  of  Christi.ai  worship 195 

(1)  Worship  must  be  in  spirit  and  truth.  (2)  It  must  be 
offered  in  the  name  of  Christ.  (3)  It  must  be  in  faith  and 
penitence. 

§  144.   The  ends  of  church  worship 196 

(1)  The  glory  of  God  its  chief  end.  (2)  Christian  edifica- 
tion.    (3)  The  conversion  of  unbelievers. 


xvi  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM, 

§  145.  The  form  of  worship  should  meet  both  the  nature  and  ends  of 

worship 19'' 

(1)  No  Christian  form  revealed.  (2)  The  best  form  flexi- 
ble and  changeable.  (3)  Hence  liberty  to  change  given  the 
churches. 

§  146.   Variety  in  the  worship  of  the  primitive  churches. 198 

(1)  Worship  of  the  Jewish  synagogue.  (2)  Elements  of 
worship  in  apostolic  churches.  (3)  Later  form  of  worship. 
(4)  The  three  oldest  Liturgies.  (5)  The  Great  Reformation 
changed  forms  of  worship.  (6)  A  clearer  conception  of 
worship  appearing. 

§  147.   The  value  of  Liturgies  in  church  services 202 

(1)  No  liturgy  imposed  by  Christ  or  his  apostles.  (2) 
Liturgies  have  been  generally  used.  (3)  Liturgies  not  essen- 
tially connected  with  polity. 

The  Church  Sacraments. 

§  148.   The  Christian  worship  centers  in  the  sacraments 205 

(1)  Their  number  — seven  or  two.  (2)  Only  Baptism  and 
the  Lord's  Supper  are  sacraments,  (a)  Confirmation,  (b) 
Penance,  (c)  Orders,  (d)  Marriage,  (e)  Extreme  Unction. 
(/)  Feet-washing.  (3)  Confirmed  by  the  nature  of  a  sacra- 
ment.—Quaker  view.  — Church  view. 

§149.   Baptism 207 

(1)  It  superseded  circumcision  in  the  covenant  of  God. 
(2)  Baptism  required  of  all  believers  after  Pentecost.  (3) 
John's  baptism  not  Christian  baptism. 

§  150.   The  essential  elements  of  baptism 209 

(1)  Water,  the  purer  the  better.  (2)  The  intent  to  bap- 
tize. (3)  Into  the  name  of  the  Trinity.  (4)  But  once 
administered. 

§  151.   The  mode  of  baptism  various 210 

§  152.  The  subjects  of  baptism 211 

(1)  They  are  unbaptized  converts.  (2)  Also  infant  chil- 
dren of  believers.     (3)  But  not  the  children  of  unbelievers. 

§  153.  The  relation  of  baptized  children  to  the  church.     Theories 213 

(1)  Made  full  members  by  baptism.  (2)  Baptism  and  con- 
firmation make  full  members.  (3)  Baptism  and  an  orderly 
life  make  full  members.  (4)  Baptism  with  public  confession 
makes  full  members.  (5)  Baptism  only  a  consecration,  having 
no  eftect  on  membership.  (6)  The  Baptist  position  contrary 
to  the  covenant  of  grace. 

§  154.  The  Lord's  Supper.  —  Names 216 

(1)  A  memorial,  not  a  sacrifice.  (2)  It  superseded  the 
passover.  (3)  To  be  often  repeated.  (4)  The  elements  used, 
bread  and  wine.     (5)  The  mode  of  celebrating  the  supper 


CONTENTS.  xvii 

diverse.      (6)  Should  be  celebrated  by   members  in   both 
kinds. 
§  155.  The  communicants 218 

(1)  Determined  by  different  conditions  in  different 
churclies.  (2)  All  agree  in  requiring  these  prerequisites: 
(a)  Belief  in  Christ.  (6)  Baptism,  (c)  Church  member- 
ship, (d)  Confirmed  by  the  communicants  of  the  passover. 
(3)  These  terms  confli-med  by  Scripture,  history,  and  nature, 
(a)  Judas  Iscariot  did  not  participate  in  the  supper,  (h) 
Primitive  churches  excluded  all  but  full  members  from  the 
room,  (c)  The  nature  of  the  case  excludes  non-members 
from  the  Eucharist,  {d)  These  terms  regulate  our  fellow- 
ship at  the  table.  (4)  These  terms  may  not  be  increased  in 
number. 

§  156.  The  invitation  to  the  Eucharist  should  conform  to  these  terms. 224 
(1)  The  common  invitation  regards  them.     (2)  The  pastor 
can  not  control  the  invitation. 

§  157.   Who  may  administer  the  sacraments 225 

(1)  Ordinarily  ordained  ministers.  (2)  Laymen  may  some- 
times administer;  since  (3)  Validity  and  efficacy  not  de- 
pendent on  the  administrator;  but  laymen  should  adminis- 
ter, (a)  Only  in  pressing  exigencies,  (h)  Only  by  vote  of 
the  church.  (4)  Ordination  not  an  essential  element,  but 
required  ordinarily  for  administering  the  sacraments. 

LECTURE   IX. 

the  doctrine  op  the  christian  church. 

Discipline. 

§  158.   A  church  must  have  some  form  of  discipline 229 

§  159.   This  discipline  covers  the  general  management,  as :    230 

(1)  The  order  of  church  services.  (2)  The  times  of 
church  meetings.  (3)  The  rules  of  procedure.  (4)  The 
regularity  of  procedure. 

DEALING  with  OFFENDERS. 

§  160.   Preliminary  considerations 231 

(1)  Discipline  determined  by  the  theory  of  the  Church. 
(2)  Defects  in  discipline  of  little  weight.  (3)  Drift  in  disci- 
pline decisive.  (4)  Study  of  discipline  needed,  (a)  Because 
discipline  is  common.  (J>)  Because  mistalies  in  discipline 
rend  churches.  (5)  Congregationalism  has  essentially  one 
discipline. 

§161.   The  permanent  authority  of  discipline,  where  located   233 

(1)  This  authority  not  original  but  derived.  (2)  Placed 
by  Christ  in  local  churches.     (3)  This  authority  limited. 


xviii  THE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

§  162.  The  subjects  of  church  discipline  235 

(1)  Lay  officers.  (2)  Ministers  require  a  twofold  process 
—  one  as  cliurch  members,  another  as  ministers.  (3)  Bap- 
tized children  not  subjects. 

§  163.   The  offences  demanding  discipline 235 

(1)  Denial  of  cardinal  doctrines.  (2)  Scandalous  offences. 
(3)  Private  wrongs,  violations  of  covenant. 

§  164.  The  duty  of  discipline 238 

(1)  Authority  joined  with  discretion.  (2)  The  function  of 
the  church  involves  discretion.  (3)  Discretion  varies  disci- 
pline. —  Intemperance. 

§  165.  The  ends  of  church  discipline 240 

(1)  The  reclamation  of  the  offender.  (2)  The  purity  of 
the  church. 

§  166.   The  rule,  or  steps,  of  discipline 241 

(1)  The  first  step.  (2)  The  second  step.  (3)  The  third 
step.  (4)  Tlie  final  step.  (5)  These  steps  complete  and 
final. 

SOME  QUESTIONS  RESPECTING  CHURCH   DISCIPLINE. 

§  167.   Should  all  cases  be  treated  alike  ? 244 

§  168.   When  should  the  first  step  be  taken? 244 

§  169.   Should  a  second  private  interview  be  sought  ? 245 

§  170.   Does  asking  for  a  letter  forestall  discipline? 245 

§  171.   Does  granting  a  letter  preclude  discipline? 246 

§  172.  How  should  a  case  be  brouglit  before  the  church? 246 

§173.   How  should  the  church  conduct  the  case? 247 

§  174.   May  not  discipline  be  had  by  jury  trial? 249 

§175.   What  rules  control   evidence    in    discipline?  —  Hearsay  evi- 
dence?      250 

§  176.   May  legal  counsel  plead  in  church  trials  ? 252 

§  177.   What  censures  may  be  inflicted  ?  —  Lifting  the  censure 254 

§  178.   Should  the  censure  be  announced  publicly? 2.55 

§  179.  Are  witnesses  and  others  protected  by  the  law  ? 255 

§  180.    When  do  irregularities  in  procedure  invalidate  action? 256 

§  181.   Who  may  vote  in  church  matters? ^ 2J7 

§  182.  What  is  the  validity  of  votes  when  a  majority  do  not  vote? 2.59 

§  183.   Can  members  be  dropped  from  the  church  roll  ? 259 

§  184.   What  part  may  a  pastor  take  in  discipline?   261 

§185.   Can  a  local  church  complete  the  discipline  of  a  ministerial 

member? 261 

§  186.  What  redress  is  there  if  a  church  do  wrong? 262 

LECTURE  X. 

the  doctrine  op  the  christian  church. 

Fellowship. 

§  187.   Independent  churches  bound  in  the  closest  fellowship 264 


CONTENTS.  xix 

§  IbS.  Church  fellowship  is  the  communion  of  churches  264 

§  189.  Church  fellowship  a  necessity 265 

§  190.  Church  fellowship  not  peculiar  to  any  polity    265 

§  191.  The  vehicle  of  centralization 266 

§  192.  Church  fellowship  fully  exhibited  under  liberty 266 

OCCASIONAL   COUNCILS. 

§  193.   Origin  of  the  system  of  councils   267 

(1)  It  has  a  warrant  in  the  New  Testament.  (2)  Early 
general  councils.  (3)  The  system  of  councils  in  New  Eng- 
land born  of  the  union  of  Church  and  State,  (a)  Otherwise 
it  would  have  appeared  elsewhere.  (6)  If  normal,  the  sys- 
tem would  have  spread,  (r)  Its  political  fostering  in  New 
England.     (4)  Councils  limited  by  nature  and  call. 

§  194.   Description  of  the  system  of  councils 272 

(1)  Definition  of  a  council.  (2)  By  whom  culled.  (3) 
Assembled  by  letters  missive.  (4)  Those  calling  determine 
the  membership.  (5)  Kights  of  members  in  councils.  (6) 
A  quorum  of  a  council.  (7)  Objects  of  councils.  (8) 
Scope  of  councils  narrow.  —  Communion  more  comprehen- 
sive than  advice.  (9)  The  size  of  councils.  (10)  Kinds  of 
councils,  (rt)  Councils  called  by  one  party — uni parte.  (&) 
Councils  called  by  parties  in  agreement  —  duo  parte,  (c) 
Councils  called  by  parties  in  disagreement  —  mutual,  (d) 
Councils  called  by  one  party  in  a  controversy  —  ex  parte. 
(11)  Some  councils  easily  confounded  with  others,  (a)  As 
councils  in  lay  discipline  —  uni  iHirte  with  ex.  parte.  (6)  As 
councils  of  fi-iends  —  duo  parte  ,\\'\Wi  mutual,  (c)  "-The 
third  may,"  when  ex  parte.  (12)  ]Mode  of  procedure  in 
councils.  (13)  The  "result"  of  councils.  (14)  Councils 
dissolved  on  adjournment  without  day. 

QUESTIONS  ON  COUNCILS. 

§  195.   What  is  the  force  of  usage  in  Congregationalism? 279 

§  196.    Is  the  result  of  a  council  divisible  ?  280 

§  197.   Is  there  the  right  of  challenge  in  selecting  councils?     .    280 

§198.   Is    there    not    danger    of    packing    councils? — Associations 

better,  Avith  appeal  to  mutual  councils 280 

§  199.   Can  an  association  be  a  party  to  a  council  ?    2S2 

(1)  Parties  most  interested  may  call  councils.  (2)  Past 
usage  can  not  prevent  change.  (3)  Similar  councils  have 
been  called.  (4)  The  need  of  such  councils  urgent.  (.5) 
They  adjust  our  polity  to  its  expanding  conditions. 

§  200.    What  part  have  councils  in  ministerial  discipline? 284 

(1)  Ministers  amenable  to  the  churches  as  ministers.  (2) 
Churches  in  any  locality  have   "the  inalienable  right"  to 


XX  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

give  or  withhold  fellowship.  (3)  The  method  of  using  the 
right  separable  from  the  right  itself.  —  Councils  render  the 
right  practically  inoperative.  (4)  The  inalienable  light  de- 
mands change  to  ministerial  standing  in  associations  of 
churches.  (J>)  Mutual  councils  then  needed  for  redress  of 
wrongs  or  for  completing  process  of  discipline. 

§  201.   May  a  council  depose  a  minister  ? 287 

(1)  Tlie  ministerial  function  and  call.  (2)  Ordination  the 
recognition  of  these.  (.S)  Not  the  conferring  of  character, 
grace,  or  the  Holy  Spirit.  (4)  Withdrawal  of  ordination  by 
council  deposition. 

§202.   Why  may  not  councils  yield  to   associations   of  churches  in 

ordination  and  in  deposition  ? 288 

(1)  Nothing  to  prevent  the  change  but  usage.  (2)  An 
association  of  churches  better  than  a  council,  (a)  It  in- 
cludes the  churches  in  any  locality,  which  a  council  may  not 
do.     (6)  It  can  correct  mistakes,  which  a  council  can  not. 

(c)  Neither  method  interferes   with   church   independence. 

(d)  If  an  association  ordain,  it  should  depose,  (e)  Economy 
favors  associations  in  many  states.  (3)  These  reasons  favor 
associations  of  churches. 

§  203.   May  not  iustullatiuu  give  place  to  recognition  ? 290 

§  204.   Are  councils  adequate  safeguards  'i  290 

(1)  They  reach  only  one  third  of  our  pastors  and  one 
fourth  of  our  ministers.  (2)  This  decadence  has  occurred 
in  the  face  of  urgent  appeals  for  installation.  (3)  Councils 
are  thus  failing  safeguards  and  inadequate. 

MINISTERIAL   ASSOCIATIONS. 

§205.  Ministerial  associations  express  church  fellowship  in  an  in- 
direct way 292 

(1)  Detinition  of  ministerial  associations.  (2)  Their  origin. 
(3)  Their  object.  (4)  Ministerial  standing  sometimes  held  in 
such  associations.  (5)  Ministerial  associations  temporary  in 
nature. 

CHURCH  ASSOCIATIONS. 

§  206.   Definition  of  associations  of  churches.  —  Names 295 

§  207.   Importance  of  church  associations 295 

§  208.   Origin  of  church  associations 296 

(1)  Tlie  General  Court  as  a  lay  association.  (2)  Earliest 
associations  in  America.  (3)  Earliest  associations  in  Eng- 
land. 

§  209.   Membership  and  functions  of  church  associations 298 

•'  The  inalienable  right  of  cimrches  in  any  locality." 
§  210.   Associations  possess  no  authority  over  churches 300 


CONTENTS.  xxi 

§  211.  Process  of  expulsion  from  an  association  of  churches 301 

(1)  An  association  ordaining  should  depose.  (2)  An  asso- 
ciation bound  to  labor  with  and  depose  the  unworthy.  (3) 
Difference  between  pastorr.l  representation  and  ministerial 
membership  or  standing  in  associations.  (4)  Expulsion  cuts 
off  from  connection ;  deposes. 

§  212.  Relief  from  injustice  in  a  mutual  council   304 

§213.   Credentials  of   ministers  and  churches.  —  Dual  contents   of 

Presbyterian  credentials   304 

§  214.   Our  churches  evolving  this  normal  system  of  church  associa- 
tions   305 

Note.  —  Origin  of  The  National  Council  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Churches  of  the  United  States.  306 


LECTUEE  XI. 

the  doctrine  of  the  christian  church. 

Activities  and  Relations. 

§  215.  The  churches  commissioned  to  evangelize  the  world 312 

§  216.   Work  committed  to  each  local  church 312 

(1)  Training  the  children  and  candidates  for  admission.  — 
Sunday-schools.     (2)  Parish  evangelization. 

§  217.   Churches  should  cooperate  in  common  labors  314 

(1)  In  ministerial  training.  (2)  In  home  evangelization. 
(3)  In  foreign  missions. 

§218.  Methods  of  cooperation  among  independent  churches 314 

(1 )  Cooperation  of  the  primitive  churches.  (2)  Cooperation 
through  voluntary  societies.  (3)  Cooperation  through  per- 
manent boards  of  trust.  (4y  Cooperation  through  individual 
and  delegated  trust.  (5)  Cooperation  through  association  of 
churches. 

§  219.  The  normal  method  of  church  cooperation 317 

§  220.   Obstacles  to  be  overcome  in  reaching  the  normal  method 319 

(1)  Reverence  for  the  ways  of  our  fathers.  (2)  Regard 
for  charters  and  trust  funds.  (3)  Fear  of  unwarranted 
centralization. 

§  221.   Obstacles  :  how  I'emoved  in  attaining  the  normal  method 320 

§  222.  Advantages  of  churches  managing  their  common  labors 321 

§  223.   Churches,  not  individuals,  the  true  factors 322 

LEGAL  RELATIONS  OF  CHURCHES. 

§  224.   Churches  must  touch  in  some  points  the  civil  power 323 

§  225.   Churches  independent  of  the  State,  and  dependent  upon  it 324 

§  226.   Their  true  relation  lost  in  tiie  union  of  Church  and  State 325 

§  227.   The  Reformation  but  a  partial  return 326 


xxii  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

§  228.   Full  return  in  America  to  the  primitive  relation 327 

§  229,   The  parish  system  an  inheritance  from  the  State 328 

§  230.    The  parish  contained  the  Ici^al  existence  of  a  cliurch 331 

§ 231.   This  inheritance  should  be  lejccted  for  the  normal  relation,  in 

which    332 

(1)  The  State  may  legislate  respecting  clmrch  property. 

(2)  The  State  may  exempt  or  tax  churcli  propertj'.  (3)  The 
State  may  require  the  teaching  of  morals  and  religion  in  its 
schools.  (4)  The  State  may  suppress  disorder  in  a  church 
and  enforce  Sunday  rest.  (5)  The  State  may  pievent  church 
fines  and  imprisonment.  (6)  Tlie  State  may  regulate  the 
alienation  of  church  property  and  trust  funds. 

COMITY   AMONG  CHURCHES. 

§  232.   Different  theories  of  the   C'liurch  give  different  communions 

and  require  comity 337 

(1)  Comity  assumes  the  right  of  private  judgment.     (2) 
Comity  divides  churches  into  evangelical  and  unevangelical. 

(3)  Comity  requires  limited  fellowship  vs^ith  the  evangelical 
churches.  It  is  to  be  rememl)ered:  (a)  That  the  Lord 
established  independent  churches,  {h)  That  union  efforts 
end  in  denominational  results,  (c)  That  other  polities  deny 
church  independence  and  liberty.  (4)  Comitj'  can  not  fel- 
lowship unevangelical  churches. 

RELATION   OF  CHURCHES   TO   THE  WORLD. 

§  233.   The  churches  are  commissioned  to  evangelize  the  world,  not  to 

conform  to  it 341 


LECTURE   XII. 

the  doctrine  of  the  christian  chltrch. 

Creed.  —  Objections. 

§  234.  Church  Creeds  of  the  utmost  importance 344 

§  235.  The  General  Confessions  of  Congregational  Churches 345 

§  236.  The  Doctrinal  Bases  of  State  Associations 346 

§  237.  Creeds  of  local  churches 347 

§  238.  Assent  of  members  and  pastors  to  church  creeds 347 

§  239.  Safeguard  in  churi'h  councils 348 

§  240.  History  vindicates  these  guards  of  Orthodoxy 348 

§  241.  The  people  the  best  custodians  of  faith 350 

§  242.  The  peoi)le  the  best  guardians  of  libertj' 352 

§  243.  Congregational  disi-ipline  and  purity  in  the  faith 3.53 

§  244.  These  safeguards  complete 354 


CONTENTS.  xxiii 

SOME  OBJECTIONS   TO  CONGREGATIOXALISM  CONSIDERED. 

§  245.   The  force  of  objections 355 

(1)  Some  objections  have  no  force  whatever.  (2)  Some 
objections  lie  against  faulty  administration.  (3)  Some  objec- 
tions have  real  but  not  conclusive  force.  (4)  Objections  test 
polities  and  show  the  best. 

§246.   Objection  from  public  discipline 357 

§  247.   Objection  respecting  unity  among  churches 357 

§  248.   Objection  respecting  efficiency.     Efficiency  : 359 

(1)  Hindered  by  union  efforts.  (2)  Hindered  by  union  of 
Churcli  and  State.  (3)  Hindered  by  the  parish  system. 
(4)  Hindered  by  the  "Plan  of  Union."  (5)  Hindered  by 
defects  in  discipline.  (6)  Efficiency  from  use  of  wisdom. 
(7)  Efficiency  from  use  of  resources.  (S)  Complete  effi- 
ciency from  the  union  of  wisdom  and  resources. 

§  249.   Objection  from  centralization  in  unity 363 

(1)  The  Master  prayed  for  unity.  (2)  Fellowship  devoid 
of  authority.  (3)  Votes  devoid  of  authority.  (4)  Our 
churches  freed  from  personal  leadership.  (5)  Our  churches 
relieved  of  ministerial  control.  (6)  They  have  rejected  con- 
sociationism.  (7)  They  avoid  all  dangerous  centralization  in 
their  associations.  (8)  These  associations  rightly  balance 
liberty  and  unity. 

§  250.   Congregationalism,  it  is  objected,  would  have  been  an  anomaly 

in  the  first  centuries 368 

(1)  The  gospel  not  an  evolution  of  nature.  (2)  The  gos- 
pel was,  then,  an  anomaly  in  the  first  century.  (3)  The  syn- 
agogues were  democratic.  (4)  Democratic  independent 
churches  conceded  as  a  fact  in  the  first  century. 

§  251.    The  edifice  too  large  for  the  foundation,  it  is  said.  — The  con- 
stitutive principle  can  bear  ecumenical  unity 370 

§  252.   Government  not  given  prominence  enough  in  Congregation- 
alism. —  The  Scriptural  warrant  exhausted 370 

§  253.   Church  government  discretionary,  it  is  said 370 

(1)  Polity  belongs  to  the  essence  of  the  church.  (2)  Con- 
firmed by  convictions  of  men.  (3)  The  constitutive  prin- 
ciple of  Congregationalism  given  in  tlie  New  Testament. 
(4)  The  New  Testament  commands  obedience  in  polity,  as  in 
doctrine.  (5)  The  future  belongs  to  the  primitive  polity. 
Conclusion. 
Index    377 


THE    CHURCH-KINGDOM 

LECTURES  ON  CONGREGATIONALISM. 


LECTURE    I. 

THE    PATRIARCHAL    DISPENSATION    AND     THE    CEREMONIAL 
DISPENSATION. 

"  Ood  having  provided  some  better  thing  concerning  us,  that  apart  from 
us  they  should  not  be  made  perfect.''''  —  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews. 

§  1.  We  are  called  upon  in  these  Lectures  to  examine  as 
we  may  be  able  the  external  forms  of  an  institution  which 
had  its  origin  in  heaven,  which  expresses  the  highest  wisdom 
and  love  of  our  Father  in  heaven,  which,  including  the  rich- 
est part  of  human  history,  will  find  its  full  consummation  in 
heaven,  and  which  is  called  in  its  final  earthly  form  "  the 
kingdom  of  heaven."  This  wonderful  institution,  in  its 
widest  comprehension,  is  named  the  Church  of  God. 

No  one  who  takes  this  wide  view  of  our  subject  can  feel 
cramped  in  its  study.  For  what  engages  God's  wisdom 
and  love,  all  through  the  ages,  from  Eden  to  the  end  of  the 
world,  "  to  the  intent  that  now  unto  the  principalities  and 
the  powers  in  the  heavenly  places  might  be  made  known 
through  the  Church  the  manifold  wisdom  of  God,  according 
to  the  eternal  purpose  which  he  purposed  in  Christ  Jesus  our 
Lord"(Eph.  3:  10,  11),  —  what  thus  engages  God's  wisdom 
and  love  and  purpose  ought  certainly  to  engage  also  the 
reverent  study  of  every  believer  ;  but  especially  the  most 
devout  inquiry  of  all  who  are  aspiring  to  be  ministers  in  this 
holy  Church  of  God. 


2  THE  CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

§  2.  It  is  true  that  we  are  confined  to  the  outward  forms 
of  this  divine  institution,  to  the  exclusion,  in  large  degree,  of 
the  inner  life  that  animates  and  fashions  those  forms ;  but 
there  is  such  a  reciprocal  relation  between  form  and  life,  and 
organism  and  the  vital  energy  which  develops  it,  that  no  one 
who  regards  the  life  can  disregard  the  form.  Indeed,  in 
nature  we  study  life  only  in  and  through  its  organic  mani- 
festation ;  and  in  grace  we  study  the  life  of  God  in  the 
hearts  of  men,  as  an  energy  leavening  society  and  restoring 
righteousness  and  worship,  chiefly  in  and  through  the 
Church,  the  organic  manifestation  of  that  life.  In  the  de- 
velopment of  the  life  hid  with  Christ  in  God  there  may 
have  been  changes  of  outward  form  to  suit  an  altered  envi- 
ronment ;  but  in  every  case  the  life  must  be  examined  in 
and  through  the  organism  by  which  it  chiefly  manifested 
itself  at  the  time.  Alter  the  organism,  and,  if  the  life  de- 
manded it,  a  richer  development  follows,  as  when  Judaism 
passed  upwards  into  Christianity ;  but  if  the  life  did  not 
demand  it,  decay  follows,  as  when  Christianity  partially 
passed  backwards  into  Judaism  again.  Thus  a  change  in  the 
outward  constitution  of  religion  is  the  most  momentous  that 
can  come  to  any  people.  For  "  the  real  history  of  man  is 
the  history  of  religion  —  the  wonderful  ways  by  which  the 
different  families  of  the  human  race  advanced  towards  a 
true  knowledge  and  a  deeper  love  of  God.  This  is  the 
foundation  that  underlies  all  profane  history  :  it  is  the  light, 
the  soul,  and  life  of  history,  and  without  it  all  history  would 
indeed  be  profane."  ^  This  close  relation  between  form  and 
life  in  religion,  and  between  religion  and  the  history  of  man, 
gives  to  church  polity  a  place  next  to  theology. 

§  3.  Indeed,  the  outward  form  of  the  Church  goes  beyond 
the  inner  life  and  fashions  theological  systems  with  its 
moulding  touch.  "  It  is  a  significant  fact  that  in  the  primi- 
tive churches  the  earliest  departure  from  the  gospel  was  not 
in  the  false  statement  of  doctrine,  but  in  the  perversion  of 

I  Max  Miiller's  Chips  from  a  Germau  Workshop,  i,  20. 


LIFE  APPEARS  7.V  OROANISM.  3 

church  government  and  ordinances.  Sacerdotalism  and  sac- 
ramentarianism  led  the  way  to  the  later  corruption  of 
Christianity  in  its  doctrinal  form."  ^  Hence  doctrinal  re- 
forms should  have  as  their  aim  the  purification  of  the  fountain 
whence  the  chief  doctrinal  errors  have  flowed.  And  such 
in  fact  has  been  their  aim.  "  All  the  endeavors  truly 
reformatory  down  to  the  Reformation  had  the  idea  of  the 
true  Church  in  some  form  for  their  basis."  And  the  great 
Reformation  was  "  the  setting  forth  of  a  new  conception  of 
the  Church,  which  ,  .  .  derived  church  authority  not  from 
a  particular  order,  but  from  the  whole  communion."  ^  "  The 
doctrine  of  the  Church,  its  due  constitution,  discipline,  and 
worship,  is  a  doctrine  of  no  mean  order  in  the  Christian 
system  of  truth.  It  is  intimately  connected  with  the  doc- 
trine of  sacred  Scripture  and  with  the  doctrine  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  The  doctrines  of  regeneration,  of  the  sacraments, 
of  sanctification,  and  even  of  Christ  as  tlie  sole  Mediator  and 
Teacher  of  men,  are  intimately  connected  with  it."  * 

The  nature  of  the  Church  as  a  divine  institution,  the  vital 
influence  that  outward  forms  have  on  the  inner  life  in  its 
unfolding,  and  the  irresistible  power  with  which  the  doctrine 
of  the  Church  has  historically  moulded,  and,  in  the  nature 
of  things,  must  ever  mould,  other  cardinal  doctrines,  com- 
bine to  enforce  a  study  which  the  superficial  brush  aside  as 
trivial. 

§  4.  We  ask,  therefore,  all  who  are  filled  with  the  spirit  of 
Christ  to  study  the  organic  forms  which  the  life-giving  and 
redeeming  grace  of  Christ  has  taken  in  its  unfolding.  It 
appeared  first  in  the  family  form,  which  was  capable  of 
universal  extension,  but  which  lacked  due  expression  of 
*' the  communion  of  saints,"  and  which,  therefore,  was  not 
suited  to  a  world-wide  religion.  Then  it  grew  into  a 
national  form,  which,  from  ethnic  and  geographical  reasons, 
was  provincial  and  exclusive,  fostering  within  narrow  limits 

2  The  Church,  by  Prof.  H.  Harvey,  D.D.,  16,  17. 

3  Herzog's   Ency.,  condensed  trans,  vol.  i,  6S1. 

*  Principles  of  Church  Polity,  by  Prof.  George  T.  Ladd,  D.D.,  180. 


4  THE  CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

the  fellowship  of  the  saints,  but  totally  inadequate  for  an 
ecumenical  religion.  From  this  it  flowered  into  a  third 
and  final  form,  which,  through  the  union  of  particular  con- 
gregations, exhibits  fully  "the  communion  of  saints,"  and 
which  is  thus  fitted  to  be  an  ecumenical  and  everlasting 
form.  We  shall  pass  hastily  through  the  first  and  second 
forms,  as  through  porches  of  the  true  temple,  that  we  may 
dwell  in  the  glory  of  the  third.  As  we  believe  the  porches 
were  built  after  divine  patterns,  so  we  believe  that  the 
temple  itself  was  not  left  to  the  art  of  men,  but  is  of  God, 
fashioned  after  an  imperishable  model. 

§  5.  Christendom  is  divided  into  two  great  sections  over 
the  definition  of  the  Church  of  God,  especially  in  its  Chris- 
tian form.  "  One  great  body,  following  Calvin  and 
embracing  a  majority  of  Protestant  communities,  maintain 
that  the  Church  is  invisible ;  while  the  Lutherans,  the 
Roman  Catholics,  the  Oriental  Christians,  and  the  great 
bulk  of  the  more  famous  Anglican  divines  (in  accordance 
with  the  Anglican  formularies)  maintain  it  to  be  visible."  ^ 
This  line,  of  course,  is  broadly  drawn.  Few,  if  any,  on  the 
one  side  deny  that  the  invisible  Church  becomes  visible  in 
suitable  organizations,  and  that  too  by  the  operation  of  its 
own  inherent  forces ;  and  few  on  the  other  side,  except  the 
Roman  Catholics,  deny  that  the  visible  Church  has  an  in- 
visible boundary  not  precisely  conterminous  with  the  visible. 
And  some  Roman  Catholics  admit  that  a  few  outside  their 
communion  will  be  saved  through  invincible  ignorance. 
The  issue  is  one  of  adjusting  boundary  lines.  Are  the  lines 
of  the  spiritual  realm  and  the  lines  of  the  visible  organiza- 
tion identical  ?  If  they  are,  then  the  marks  or  notes  of  the 
invisible  Church  are  the  marks  or  notes  of  the  visible 
Church ;  for  both  are  the  same  thing.  Are  the  lines  that 
bound  the  invisible  Church  different  from  those  that  bound 
the  visible  Church  ?  Then  the  notes  or  marks  of  the  one 
are  not  the  notes  or  marks  of  the  other,  but  they  separate 

»  Ency.  Jirit.  9th  ed.  v,  759. 


CHUBCH    VISIBLE  AND   INVISIBLE.  5 

in  varying  degrees,  even  unto  entire  divergence.  We  shall 
find,  we  believe,  that  in  no  one  of  the  three  great  forms  of 
the  Church  of  God  were  these  lines  identical,  but  instead 
more  or  less  divergent,  proving  that  the  visible  Church  is 
not  identical  with  the  invisible.  But  this  will  be  more  fully 
treated  hereafter. 

§  6.  But  what  is  the  Church  of  God  as  manifested  in  its 
threefold  form?  We  answer  in  the  words  of  Prof.  Samuel 
Harris,  d.d.,  of  Yale  Theological  Seminary :  "  The  Church 
is  the  organic  outgrowth  of  the  life-giving  and  redeeming 
grace  of  Christ  penetrating  human  history  in  the  Holy 
Spirit."''  On  this  definition,  note  :  (1)  That  it  applies  to  all 
three  dispensations  of  the  Church  of  God,  though  particu-' 
larly  designed  to  define  the  Christian  Church.  (2)  That  it 
makes  the  life  of  Christ  penetrating  humanity  and  redeem- 
ing it  the  germ  and  root  of  the  Church.  (3)  That  this  life 
penetrates  history  through  the  Holy  Spirit.  That  life  enters 
the  individual  heart  in  regeneration  and  is  nurtured  in 
sanctification.  The  Church  is  not  therefore  independent  of 
Christ  and  the  Spirit  in  its  inception,  progress,  and  consum- 
mation. (4)  Yet  the  Church  is  not  this  life,  but  the  organic 
outgrowth  of  the  life-giving  and  redeeming  grace  of  Christ. 
The  Church  of  God  is  more  than  the  number  of  the  re- 
deemed ;  it  is  more  than  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  in  the  hearts 
of  the  redeemed ;  it  is  more  than  the  atoning  work  of 
Christ  its  Head ;  it  is  also  an  organic  outgrowth,  "  the 
communion  of  saints."  (5)  This  organic  outgrowth  or 
manifestation  may  be,  or  it  may  not  be,  exactly  contermi- 
nous with  the  redeeming  grace  of  Christ  penetrating  human 
society  in  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  Church  is  an  organic  mani- 
festation of  an  invisible  life,  which  may  gather  into  itself 
some  foreign  elements,  and  which  may  continue  to  exist  as 
an  organism  for  a  time  after  its  life-giving  energy  has  been 
withdrawn. 

Now   this    Church  of   God,  born    of   the   grace    of    God, 

«  29  Bib.  Sacra,  114. 


6  THE  CHUB CH-  KINGDOM. 

begun  in  Eden,  destined  to  fill  the  world  with  glory,  and  to 
be  consummated  in  heaven  (1  Cor.  15  :  24-28),  has  had  three 
forms  of  organic  manifestation,  above  alluded  to,  called  the 
patriarchal  dispensation,  the  ceremonial  or  Mosaic  dispen- 
sation, and  the  Christian  dispensation  —  the  family,  the 
national,  and  the  ecumenical  forms. 

We  will  now  trace  this  organic  outgrowth  of  the  grace  of 
God  in  Christ  penetrating  human  society. 

I. THE     PATRIARCHAL     DISPENSATION,     OR     THE    FAMILY 

FORM    OF   THE   CHURCH    OF    GOD. 

§  7.  We  assume  the  patriarchal  theor}^  of  the  origin  of 
society,  which  has  been  stated  by  Sir  Henry  Maine  to  be, 
" '  the  origin  of  society  in  separate  families,  held  together  by 
the  authority  and  protection  of  the  eldest  valid  male  ascend- 
ant. .  .  .  The  strongest  and  wisest  male  rules.  .  .  .  All 
under  his  protection  are  on  an  equality.'  This  is  also  Dar- 
win's view.  .  .  .  At  present  it  must  be  concluded  that  the 
most  probable  theory  of  the  structure  of  early  society  is 
that,  in  a  more  or  less  developed  form,  the  family  was  the 
original  unit ;  sexual  and  parental  affection  point  to  it,  and 
early  law  and  custom  confirm  it."  '' 

§  8.  But,  whatever  the  origin  of  human  society,  this 
earliest  form  of  the  Church  of  God  can  not  be  carried  back 
beyond  man's  apostasy.  The  Church  begins  where  so  many 
sermons  begin,  at  Adam's  fall.  Had  Adam  stood  in  his 
integrity,  the  worship  he  and  his  posterity  would  have 
offered  unto  God  would  have  expressed  the  beauty  of  their 
own  native  holiness.  The  confession  of  sin  and  tlie  re- 
demptive element  would  have  found  no  place  in  it.  It 
would  have  been  like  that  of  the  angels.  The  Church  of 
God,  as  we  know  it,  could  not  in  that  case  have  existed. 
Tliis  is  evident. 

§  9.  The  beginnings  of  the  Church  of  God  were  in  this 
wise.     The  life-giving  and  redeeming  grace,  of  which  the 

'  Prof.  George  Harris,  d.u.,  5  Amlover  Rev.  602,  664. 


PATRIABCHAL   DISPENSATION.  7 

Church  is  the  organic  outgrowth,  was  announced  to  our 
apostate  parents  in  the  garden  of  Eden  in  a  most  compre- 
hensive and  germinant  promise  that  the  seed  of  the  woman 
should  bruise  the  serpent's  head  (Gen.  3:  15).  When  this 
proto-evangel  opened  the  door  of  hope,  there  was  no  Church, 
and  no  material  for  a  Church,  except  as  sinners  could  be 
brought  to  repentance.  The  love  and  wisdom  of  God  in  a 
plan  of  redemption  had  been  dimly  hinted  at,  but  the  prime 
condition  essential  to  the  beginning  of  the  Church,  peni- 
tence, had  not  yet  been  wrought  in  the  heart  of  man. 

The  first  recorded  appearance  of  the  Church  of  God  in 
germ  was  in  the  sacrifices  offered  by  Cain  and  Abel  (Gen. 
4 :  3,  4).  And  it  is  significant  that  the  scriptural  list  of 
saints  begins  with  the  name  of  the  first  martyr  (Heb.  11 :  4). 
When  the  second  son  of  Adam  became  righteous,  we  do  not 
know  ;  but  worship,  both  eucharistic  and  expiatory,  either 
by  command  of  God  or  by  the  demand  of  fallen  human 
nature,  had  been  instituted  long  before  the  special  sacrifice 
which  God  respected  and  which  angered  Cain.  It  seems 
certain  that  the  faith  of  Abel  began  the  Church  of  God. 
§  10.  But  the  life  of  saints  continued  to  the  exodus  of 
Israel.  There  may  have  been  breaks  in  the  succession,  even 
after  Seth  renewed  it ;  but  the  great  promise  of  a  Saviour 
was  l<inded  down  through  Enoch,  Noah,  aijd  others,  until  it 
was  confirmed  in  a  covenant  with  Abraham  and  with  his 
seed.  The  meager  record  gives  only  the  great  events  ;  and 
saints  seem  always  to  have  been  few.  Indeed,  twice  the 
Church  became  almost  extinct  —  at  the  flood  and  at  the 
call  of  Abraham.  The  mingling  of  the  sons  of  Seth  with 
the  daughters  of  Cain  ended  in  the  deluge.  Through  Noah 
God  sought  to  people  the  earth  again  with  a  godly  seed. 
But  this  seed  became  corrupt,  until  a  single  family  was 
called,  and,  to  keep  it  pure,  was  made  to  wander  up  and 
down  the  promised  land.  Many  others,  like  Melchizedek, 
may  have  retained  belief  in  Jehovah,  but  the  sacred  narra- 
tive leads  apparently  to  another  conclusion.     Men  knowing 


8  THE   CHUBCH-KIXGDOM. 

God  glorified  him  not  as  God,  but  fell  into  idolatry,  save 
the  few  who  continued  the  genealogy  of  faith,  tlie  Church  of 
God,  until  the  giving  of  the  law. 

§  11.  The  form  of  the  Cliurch  in  this  period  was  very 
simple,  hardly  entitled  to  the  term  organic.  It  is  expressed 
by  the  word  patriarchal.  The  household  was  the  only 
visible  organism.  Its  elements  of  worship  and  belief  were: 
(1)  The  Sabbath.  The  day  of  rest  and  of  worship  was  in- 
stituted, we  believe,  before  the  apostasy.  It  was  ordained  of 
God  in  man's  physical  constitution  and  announced  (Gen.  2 : 
2)  ;  and  it  was  observed  after  the  fall  in  some  fashion,  as 
indicated  in  the  moral  law  (Ex.  20 :  8).  (2)  Sacrifices. 
These  were  eucharistic  and  expiatory  (Gen.  4  :  3-5).  Wher- 
ever men  called  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord,  it  is  probable 
that  they  did  so  in  connection  with  such  sacrifices.  Noah 
(Gen.  8  :  20),  Abraham  (Gen.  12  :  7,  8  ;  13  :  18  ;  15  :  9  ; 
22:  1-13),  Isaac  (Gen.  26:  25),  and  Jacob  (Gen.  28:  18; 
83  :  20  ;  35 :  14)  sacrificed  unto  the  Lord.  Their  sacrifices 
had  in  remembrance  God's  blessings,  and  also  man's  sin  and 
the  promised  Saviour  ;  and  were  therefore  eucharistic  and 
expiatory.  They  were  continued  down  to  the  giving  of  the 
law  (Job  1 :  5  ;  42  :  8  ;  Ex.  10  :  25)  ;  that  is,  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end  of  the  period.  (3)  A  priesthood.  The 
patriarch  was  the  priest  of  his  household.  This  is  declared 
of  some  of  the  patriarchs ;  it  is  presumptively  so  of  the 
rest.  There  were  no  other  priests.  Hence  the  term  patri- 
archal has  been  given  the  period.  (4)  There  was  nu  in- 
itiatory rite  at  first.  Natural  birth  or  purchase  or  conquest 
introduced  into  the  household  and  into  all  the  privileges  of 
the  Church  estate.  But  God's  covenant  with  Abraham  was 
sealed  by  the  sign  of  circumcision.  It  covered  children  and 
slaves  (Gen.  17  :  10-14).  This  outward  rite  was  the  sign 
and  seal  of  a  spiritual  renewal  (Deut.  10:  16;  30:  6),  of  the 
covenant  of  promise  (GaL  3 :  7,  29),  and  of  the  life  hid  with 
Christ  in  God  (Col.  3 :  3).  It  therefore  binds  the  three  dis- 
pensations  into    one    covenant    (Col.  2:  11,  12).      (5)  The 


PATBIARCHAL   DISPENSATION.  9 

creed  embraced  a  few  and  simple  beliefs — God,  prayer, 
salvation,  special  promises  —  on  which  faith  lay  hold  (Heb. 
11 :  1-29).  "  To  follow  up  any  of  the  religions  thus  repre- 
sented, in  the  true  line  of  their  subsequent  history,  must 
certainly  hind  us  in  a  creed  recognizing  only  one  God  .  .  . 
a  worship  of  simple  patriarchal  sacrifice  and  prayer,  and 
belief  in  the  favor  of  a  personal  and  merciful  God  thereby."  ^ 
This  creed  was  unwritten,  traditional,  enlarging  as  God 
revealed  himself  to  the  patriarchs. 

§  12.  This  form  of  the  Church,  though  so  simple,  was  not 
unifying.  Natural  selection  may  have  drawn  the  pious  into 
some  forms  of  fellowship ;  but  the  only  recorded  attempt  at 
consolidation  or  solidarity  by  building  the  tower  of  Babel 
was  frustrated  (Gen.  11 :  1-9).  The  Jacobs  and  the  Esaus 
could  not  agree  or  live  in  peace ;  but  neither  gathered  a 
following  after  his  kind  from  beyond  his  own  household. 
The  form  was  narrow,  clannish,  isolating.  It  could  not 
make  the  people  of  God  one  congregation.  There  was  no 
fellowship  wider  than  that  of  the  family  circle,  unless  at 
rare  intervals  (Gen.  14  :  18-20). 

§  13.  Nor  did  this  form  of  the  Church  conserve  piety. 
Twice  in  its  progress  the  Church  ran  almost  out ;  but  God 
interposed  to  save  it,  first,  by  the  ark  of  Noah  (Gen.  6  :  1- 

8  Comp.  Hist.  Religions,  by  Prof.  J.  C.  Moflat,  d.d.,  part  i,  246.  Tlie  Veda  are  to 
tlie  Aryan  or  Indo-European  family  of  nations  including  the  English,  what  Genesis  is 
to  the,  Semitic  family  of  nations,  including  the  Hebrew.  Max  Miiller,  in  his  Chips 
from  a  German  Workshop,  vol.  i,  sect.  1,  says:  "  The  religion  of  the  Veda  Icnows  of 
no  id  Is;"  "God  has  established  tlie  eternal  laws  of  right  and  wrong;"  "He  pun- 
ishes.sin  and  rewards  virtue ; "  "tlie  same  God  is  willing  to  forgive;  just,  yet  merci- 
ful; "  "  the  idea  of  faith  is  found  in  the  Veda,  including  trust  in  the  gods,  and  belief  in 
their  existence;  a  belief  in  personal  immortality,  without  a  trace  of  metempsychosis  or 
the  transmigration  of  souls."  "  The  Veila  is  the  earliest  deposit  of  the  Aryan  faith." 
"  The  religion  of  the  Veda  is  Polytheism,  not  Monotheism;"  but  "not  what  is  com- 
monly understood  as  Polytheism.  Yet  it  would  be  equally  wrong  to  call  it  Monothe- 
ism."   27-i4. 

The  development  in  the  Bible  is  upwnrds  iiiti  greater  clearness  and  fulness;  that  of 
the  Veda  downwards,  until  in  Buddhism  religion  is  lost  in  a  system  "  without  a  God," 
"  without  what  goes  by  the  name  of  '  soul,'  "  "  without  an  objective  heaven,"  "  with- 
out a  vicarious  saviour,"  "without  rites,  prayers,  penances,  priests,  or  intercessory 
saints."  It  is  only  by  accommo<lation  that  such  a  sj-steni  can  be  called  a  religion. 
"The  word  'religion'  is  most  inappropriate  to  apply  to  Budilhism,  which  is  not  a 
religion,  but  a  moral  philosophy."    Olcott's  Buddhist  Catechism,  ques.  12S,  i,  note. 


10  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

8),  and  second,  by  the  call  of  Abraham  (Gen.  12  :  1-3). 
By  keeping  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  moving  to  and  fro 
as  pilgrims  and  strangers,  and  by  special  revelations,  God 
preserved  a  holy  seed  nntil  it  shonld  become  a  nation.  The 
development  was  in  all  other  cases  away  from  God.  This  is 
declared  by  Paul  (Rom.  1  :  21-23),  indicated  by  the  record 
in  Genesis,  and  supported  by  a  comparison  of  ancient  re- 
ligions. It  is  said  "  that  the  fundamental  elements  of  religion 
are  the  same  in  all  tlie  ancient  records  we  possess ;  and  the 
further  into  antiquity  the  history  is  pursued,  the  more  does 
that  in  which  they  differ  diminish.  Consequently,  the  rea- 
sonable presumption  is  that  if  we  could  follow  them  all  up 
through  their  history,  we  should  find  that  the  primitive 
religion  in  each  of  the  cases  was  identical  with  that  in  all 
the  rest."  ^  Fitted  to  the  condition  of  the  race  in  its  primi- 
tive needs,  this  form  of  the  church  did  not  conserve  piety, 
nor  fellowship  nor  unity.     It  was  preparatory,  not  permanent. 

§  14.  There  was  in  the  patriarchal  dispensation  no 
marked  separation  between  saints  and  sinners.  Cain  and 
Abel  seem  to  have  worshiped  together,  until  God  signified 
his  approval  of  the  one  and  disapproval  of  the  other.  In 
that  act  of  discrimination  a  distinction  was  made  between 
an  external  worship  and  a  service  springing  from  true  faith 
in  God ;  but  that  distinction  aroused  the  anger  of  Cain,  and 
murder  soon  silenced  the  first  saint  and  martyr.  Cain  was 
driven  out,  and  Seth  revived  the  line  of  saints.  But  when 
"  the  sons  of  God  saw  the  daughters  of  men  that  they  were 
fair,"  the  line  of  Seth  mingled  again  with  the  line  of  Cain 
(Gen.  6 :  2),  until  the  flood  established  anew  a  godly  seed 
(Gen.  7 :  1).  The  call  of  Abraham  was  a  more  marked 
separation,  followed  by  the  expulsion  of  Ishmael  and  the 
choice  of  Jacob  instead  of  Esau. 

Then,  as  now,  children  of  the  same  parents  were  not  the 
same;  but  good  and  bad  shared  in  the  rites  and  worship  of 
the  household.     The  outgrowth  of  the   divine    life    in    the 

3  Moffat's  Comp.  mst.  Relig.  i,  24G. 


CEBEMONIAL  DISPENSATION.  11 

hearts  of  men  took  no  discriminating  form  ;  it  was  bounded 
only  by  the  sacredness  of  the  family.  The  birthright  had  in 
it  the  priesthood  of  the  family  and  the  promise  of  the  father. 
But  the  faithful  and  the  unfaithful,  the  righteous  and  the 
wicked,  were  in  the  same  household  until  they  instituted 
households  and  clans  of  their  own,  when  each  followed  his 
own  bent,  the  many  into  idolatry,  the  few  into  monotheistic 
beliefs,  like  the  patriarchs  of  Israel,  Melchizedek,  and  even 
Balaam  (Gen.  14  :  18 ;  Heb.  7:1;  Num.  22  :  9,  18). 

While  this  family  form  of  the  Church  could  easilj'"  have 
become  ecumenical,  it  lacked  the  essential  element  of  univer- 
sal fellowship.  It  could  not  express  the  communion  of 
saints,  and  did  not,  therefore,  foster  piety.  Even  the  cove- 
nant which  runs  through  the  three  dispensations  is  a  family 
covenant.  The  life,  begotten  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  began  in 
the  family  relation  (Gen.  3  :  15),  was  nurtured  long  in  the 
household,  and  is  still  largely  dependent  on  the  family  ;  but 
in  due  time  it  outgrew  this  narrow  limitation,  and  entered 
upon  a  second  stage  of  development. 

II.  —  THE   CEEEMONIAL    DISPENSATION,     OR  THE   NATIONAL 
FORM   OF   THE   CHURCH    OF    GOD. 

§  15.  Near  the  close  of  the  preceding  dispensation,  God 
prepared  the  way  for  the  evolution  of  a  new  and  better  out  of 
the  old  and  inadequate  form  of  the  Church.  This  he  did  by 
confining  the  promised  seed  to  the  family  of  Abraham.  He 
entered  into  a  covenant  with  one  man,  to  train  him  and  his 
posterity,  in  one  line,  as  a  peculiar  people,  the  chosen  of  God, 
until  the  Messiah  should  appear  to  bless  "  all  the  families  of 
the  earth"  (Gen.  12 :  3).  This  covenant  he  ratified  in  a 
solemn  vision  (Gen.  15 :  6-18)  ;  and  confirmed  unto  Isaac 
(Gen.  17  :  19  ;  26  :  3)  and  Jacob  (Gen.  28:  13).  When  the 
sons  of  Jacob  became  twelve  tribes,  and  were  consolidated 
into  one  people  by  the  bondage  of  Egypt,  God  led  them  into 
the  wilderness  to  train  them,  and  there  he  renewed  this  cove- 
nant with  them  as  a  united  people.     He  purposed  to  weld 


12  THE   CHUB CH-  KINGDOM. 

them  into  one  political  and  religious  life.  He  said  unto  all 
Israel :  "  Ye  shall  be  unto  nie  a  kingdom  of  priests,  and  an 
holy  nation.  And  all  the  people  answered  together,  and 
said :  All  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken  we  will  do  "  (Ex.  19 : 
6,  8).  Thus  the  whole  people  as  a  nation  became  consecrated 
unto  God  in  church  relations  (Acts  7  :  38);  it  was  hence- 
forth the  kahal,  or  "  the  congregation,"  or  Church  of  Israel, 
and  was  so  treated  in  all  sacred  history.  The  family 
Church  thus  became  a  national  Church. 

§  16.  This  covenant  involved  true  religion,  or  the  life  of 
God  in  the  heart,  but  did  not  distinguish  by  rigid  tests 
between  the  holy  and  the  wicked.  It  required  circumcision 
of  the  heart  (Lev.  26  :  41,  42),  but  the  outward  sign  and 
seal  were  applied  only  to  males.  To  observe  every  ordinance 
and  keep  every  commandment  was  to  be  holy  ;  and  yet  the 
inner  observance  is  not  confounded  with  the  outward  per- 
formance (Rom.  2  :  28,  29).  This  distinction  runs  in  vary- 
ing degrees  of  clearness  through  the  whole  sacred  record. 
"  The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken  spirit,"  and  similar 
utterances,  show  that  the  pious  understood  the  law  as  exact- 
ing more  than  external  compliance  (John  3 :  3-10). 

§  17.  The  law  followed  immediately  upon  the  renewal  of 
the  covenant.  As  the  nation  was  also  the  Church,  moral, 
religious,  ceremonial,  civil,  military,  and  sanitary  laws  were 
intermingled  in  one  code.  Rulers  and  courts  had  jurisdiction 
in  all  matters.  The  code  was  specific  and  inllexible,  covering 
the  dress  of  the  priests,  the  form  of  the  tabernacle,  the  kinds 
of  sacrifices,  the  time  and  number  of  feasts,  every  thing, 
indeed,  that  pertained  to  its  gorgeous  ritual. 

§  18.  The  place  of  worship  tended  to  national  unity. 
That  place  was  at  first  the  tabernacle,  afterwards  the  temple. 
During  the  disorganized  period  of  the  judges  (Judges  17  : 
6),  there  was  no  fixed  capital  nor  stable  government,  but  the 
tabernacle  was  a  movable  sanctuary.  The  law,  however,  was 
explicit,  making  one  place  the  center  of  all  worship  (Deut. 
12  :  5-7),  and  so  securing  "  the  communion  of  saints."     The 


CEREMONIAL  DISPENSATION.  13 

unifying  power  of  this  law  was  such  that  Jeroboam,  the  sou 
of  Nebat,  who  rebelled,  set  up  a  counterfeit  system  to 
counteract  it  (1  Kings  12  :  26-29).  He  ordered  his  subjects 
to  worship  at  Dan  and  Bethel.  The  civil  power,  he  thought, 
needed  the  backing  of  the  ecclesiastical,  and  so  he  caused 
Israel  to  sin. 

§  19.  The  priestly  function  of  the  father  was  now  con- 
fined to  Aaron  and  his  posterity.  Of  this  priesthood  it  may 
be  said :  (1)  That  it  existed  in  three  orders  :  the  high  priest, 
the  priests,  and  the  Levites.  The  Levites,  taken  instead  of 
the  firstborn  of  Israel,  could  not  even  see  the  holy  things 
while  uncovered  ;  but  they  carried  and  cared  for  the  sacred 
utensils  when  covered  by  the  priests.  The  priests  offered 
sacrifices  as  mediators  between  God  and  the  people.  The 
high  priest  made  annual  atonement  for  the  whole  nation. 
(2)  This  priesthood  was  national,  chosen  from  among  the 
children  of  Israel  to  offer  for  all  the  people.  (3)  It  was  also 
exclusive.  Only  the  male  descendants  of  Aaron  could  be 
priests.  "The  stranger  that  cometh  nigh  shall  be  put  to 
death  "  (Num.  18  :  7).  (4)  The  priests  were  not,  as  such, 
rulers  in  Israel.  Priestly,  not  civil,  functions  belonged  to 
them.  The  rulers  were  at  first  chosen  by  the  people.  (5) 
To  this  priesthood  the  irregular  order  of  the  prophets  did  not 
belong.  The  prophets  were  inspired  teachers,  whether  lay 
or  priestly.  They  came  from  all  classes  and  conditions  in 
society,  and  were  the  moral  and  religious  teachers  of  Israel. 

§  20.  The  ritual  was  minute  and  inflexible.  Nothing  in 
it  was  optional.  It  was  a  yoke  which  could  with  difficulty 
be  borne  (Acts  15  :  10).  Passing  minor  matters,  it  required: 
(1)  A  bloody  initiatory  rite,  which  every  male  born  into  the 
nation  or  admitted  to  citizenship  had  to  undergo.  There 
was  one  law  for  the  home-born  and  for  the  stranger  (Ex.  12: 
48,  49).  No  male  could  possess  national  rights  without 
enduring  this  ecclesiastical  rite.  (2)  The  annual  festivals 
brought  all  males  three  times  a  year  to  the  ecclesiastical 
capital,  if  they  obeyed  the  command  respecting  them  (Ex. 


14  THE   CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

23:  17;  Deut.  16  :  16).  (3)  Their  memorial  feast  was  the 
passover,  which  was  a  type  of  Christ  (1  Cor.  5  :  7).  This, 
when  last  observed  by  Christ,  passed  over  into  the  Lord's 
Supper.  It  was  observed  in  small  companies.  Thus  the 
passover  and  circumcision  became  the  germs  of  the  Christian 
sacraments. 

§  21.  The  creed  of  this  dispensation  gathered  about 
a  belief  in  one  personal  and  holy  God,  in  the  promised  Mes- 
siah, in  the  law  revealed  on  Sinai,  and  in  the  revelations 
made  by  the  prophets.  It  became  fuller  as  the  prophets  dis- 
closed the  glories  of  the  coming  reign  of  the  promised  Seed. 
Samuel  founded  the  school  of  the  prophets  —  regular  socie- 
ties for  the  purposes  of  instruction,  the  original  of  colleges, 
seminaries,  universities.  "  Long  before  Plato  had  gathered 
his  disciples  around  him  in  the  olive-grove,  or  Zeno  in  The 
Portico,  these  institutions  had  sprung  up  under  Samuel  in 
Judaea."  ^^ 

§  22.  God  was  the  Ruler  of  this  nation  and  Head  of  the 
Church.  He  instituted  all  laws,  ceremonies,  rites.  He  in- 
spired the  prophets.  He  decided  causes  when  appealed  to 
him  (Deut.  1 :  17).  God  was  the  recognized  Ruler  of  the 
people,  the  judges  being  his  deputies,  and  the  kings  his 
viceroys.  A  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord,"  if  properly  authenti- 
cated was  the  end  of  controversy.  The  prophets  were  God's 
interpreters.  To  withhold  tithes  was  to  rob  God  (Mai.  3 : 
8),  and  idolatry  was  adultery  (Jer.  3  ;  13  :  27).  This  dis- 
pensation was  a  pure  theocracy.  There  was  no  falling  away 
from  belief  in  a  personal  God,  as  in  other  religions  ;  instead, 
God  was  made  the  national  Ruler  and  constant  Revealer. 
The  prophets,  whose  writings  we  possess,  would  not  let 
Israel  forget  God.  Though  they  could  not  counteract  the 
evils  of  Jeroboam's  separate  ecclesiastical  establishment 
for  the  ten  tribes,  called  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  they  saved 
the  kingdom  of  Judahfrom  a  similar  fate,  and  attested  to 
both  kingdoms  the  existence,  power,  justice,  and  grace  of  an 
ever-living,  personal  God. 

10  Hist.  Jewish  Ch.,  Dean  Stanley,  i,  422. 


CEBEMONIAL  DISPENSATION.  15 

§  23.  It  is  worthy  of  mention  that  this  second,  or 
national,  form  of  the  Church  did  not  set  aside  the  family,  but 
continued  it  in  all  its  integrity.  It  did  not  build  a  national 
establishment  upon  the  foundation  of  the  individual,  but 
upon  the  foundation  of  the  household.  The  home  continued, 
though  its  priesthood  was  absorbed  in  the  Aaronic  priesthood. 
The  family  of  Jacob  had  become  the  nation.  That  the 
family  continued  in  full  force  under  this  dispensation  is  evi- 
dent from  the  laws  respecting  marriage,  the  relation  of  chil- 
dren to  parents,  the  Levirate  marriage,  the  punishment  of 
adultery,  and  the  law  of  inheritance.  The  law  recognized 
and  fostered  the  existence  and  continuance  of  families.  The 
family  was  the  unit  of  organization.  The  people  were 
numbered  after  their  families,  and  circumcision  was  a  house- 
hold rite,  as  well  as  a  national  (Gen.  17  :  12  ;  Josh.  5 :  2,  5, 
9).  Circumcision  was  the  chief  sign  of  the  covenant,  which, 
taking  its  origin  in  the  family,  became,  as  we  have  seen  (§  20) 
national. 

This  most  important  institution,  the  family,  like  the  day  of 
rest,  was  perpetuated  also  in  the  final  and  ecumenical  form 
of  the  Church  of  God,  the  Christian  dispensation.  Develop- 
ment in  ecclesiastical  matters  thus  retains  the  primitive  type, 
and  what  is  added  to  suit  new  conditions  is  not  destructive 
of  the  original  form.     Christianity  fosters  the  home. 

§  24.  Yet  in  this  church  form  there  was  the  greatest  pos- 
sible unity  and  concentration.  There  was  one  place  of  wor- 
ship ;  one  priesthood,  culminating  in  one  high  priest ;  one 
initiatory  rite  ;  one  ritual ;  one  system  of  feasts  ;  one  congre- 
gation, or  church ;  one  Head  and  Ruler,  the  one  living  and 
true  God.  It  was  a  close,  exclusive,  centralized,  unifying 
system,  in  complete  contrast  with  the  preceding  dispensation. 
The  Church  of  God  was  a  holy  nation,  which  all  believers  in 
God  must  join.  This  concentration,  together  with  its  partic- 
ularity, made  the  system  burdensome  in  the  extreme.  Cen- 
tering in  the  capital,  to  which  all  males  must  go  three  times 
a  year,  and  filled  with  minute  requirements,  this   "  tutor " 


16  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

became  intolerable  (Gal.  3:  24;  Acts  15 :  10).  It  was  in 
striking  contrast  both  with  the  liberty  of  the  gospel  (Gal.  4 : 
3-7  ;  5  :  1, 13)  and  with  the  crnel  tyranny  of  other  religions. 

§  25.  This  national  Church  became  inadequate.  The  fes- 
tal journeys  were  too  severe  for  the  young  and  aged,  too 
long  for  the  distant,  and  too  infrequent  for  the  needs  of 
growing  spirituality.  The  temple  worship  could  not  be 
carried  into  Babylon  or  into  the  dispersion.  How  much  less 
could  it  meet  the  wants  of  all  nations,  if  converted  to  Juda- 
ism? It  conserved  unity  and  fellowship,  and  thereby  pre- 
served the  rich  promises  of  God,  but  its  limitations  precluded 
its  ever  becoming  the  religious  establishment  of  the  world. 
It  became  conscious  of  this  fatal  inadequacy  :  for  when  it 
had  largely  served  the  ends  for  which  it  was  ordained,  the 
life  which  it  had  preserved  and  nourished  found  its  provisions 
inadequate,  and  added  thereto  a  form  of  worship  in  syna- 
gogues which  became  the  germ  of  the  Christian  congrega- 
tional worship.  While  Mosaism  was  old  and  vanishing  away; 
while  the  temple  was  closed  and  the  Church  was  in  exile,  and 
the  required  worship  could  not  be  rendered,  social  neighbor- 
hood worship  sprung  up,  without  prophet  or  priest,  which 
soon  spread  wherever  the  Jews  were  scattered,  and  which 
met  the  wants  of  the  pious,  in  reading  the  sacred  books,  in 
prayers,  and  in  praise.  We  have  seen  how  circumcision  was 
the  link  which,  extending  four  hundred  and  thirty  years  into 
the  patriarchal  dispensation,  bound  it  to  the  ceremonial  dis- 
pensation ;  and  we  shall  see  how  the  congregational  worship 
of  the  synagogue  became  the  organic  link  that,  extending 
nearly  six  hundred  years  into  the  ceremonial  dispensation, 
bound  it  to  the  Christian  dispensation.  The  life  of  God 
begotten  in  the  hearts  of  men  prepared  for  enlargement  in 
external  forms  centuries  before  the  actual  development 
occurred. 

§  26.  Nor  was  the  extra-legal  synagogue  worship  the  only 
prophecy  of  the  coming  fulfillment  and  supersedure  of  the 
ceremonial  law.     Moses,  who  had  founded  this  dispensation, 


THE  PBEPABATOBY  DISPENSATIONS.  17 

had  especially  predicted  its  temporaiy  nature  (Deut.  18 :  18, 
19).  The  Law-giver,  like  unto  Moses,  should  establish  a 
new  covenant,  which  should  include  the  Gentiles  (Is.  42: 
6).  Daniel  became  very  explicit :  "  The  God  of  heaven 
shall  set  up  a  kingdom,  which  shall  never  be  destroyed " 
(Dan.  2 :  44).  The  Jews  understood  these  predictions  ;  for 
they  looked  for  a  coming  One,  even  at  the  time  of  his 
appearing,  to  establish  a  kingdom. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  add  that  the  ceremonial  dispensa- 
tion has  been  superseded  by  the  Christian.  Christ  came  to 
fulfill  and  destroy  it  (Matt.  5  :  17,  18).  When  he  said  :  "  It 
is  finished,"  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  twain,  from 
the  top  to  the  bottom  (Matt.  27 :  51),  opening  the  most  holy 
place  in  the  sacred  temple  to  the  gaze  and  tread  of  all  men. 
This  ended  the  second  form  of  the  Church  of  God,  a  fact 
repeatedly  declared  in  the  Acts  and  Epistles.  The  partition 
between  Jew  and  Gentile  was  broken  down  (Acts  11 :  12- 
17 ;  Eph.  2  :  14,  15  );  circumcision  was  abolished  (Acts  15  : 
1,24-29).  Christ  "abolished  the  law  of  commandments 
contained  in  ordinances"  (Ejih.  2:  15),  and  brought  in  "a 
better  hope  "  (Heb.  7 :  18,  19),  under  another  priest  (Heb. 
4  :  14)  and  law  (Heb.  7  :  12). 

§  27.  In  concluding  this  imperfect  glance  at  the  prepara- 
tory dispensations,  it  is  of  importance  to  note  what  parts  of 
them,  if  any,  are  properly  taken  up  into  the  Christian  dis- 
pensation. We  have  already  referred  to  the  family  as  run- 
ning through  all  three  dispensations  (§  23  );  so  also  the 
Sabbath  and  the  covenant  of  grace  (§§  16,  23).  Other  com- 
mon elements  will  appear  in  our  discussion.  Here  let  us 
mark  two  tendencies  :  (1)  The  attempt  has  sometimes  been 
made  to  return  to  the  famil}^  form  of  the  Church.  All 
church  organizations  and  all  associations  of  ministers  and 
churches,  of  whatever  name,  are  denounced.  Christianity  is 
to  be,  in  the  view  of  such,  wholly  unorganized.  Individual 
and  family  nurture  is  all  that  is  needed.  But  the  results  of 
such  nurture,  whether  in  the  primitive  or  in  modern  times, 


18  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

do  not  satisfy.  Indeed,  they  indicate  that  the  disintegration 
of  organic  Christianity  would  be  fatal  to  piety  and  missions. 
Hence  this  tendency  is  sporadic  and  transient.  (2)  The 
more  extended  and  less  fatal  tendency  is  the  transplanting 
of  the  ceremonial  dispensation  into  the  Clu'istian.  The 
priesthood,  the  ritual,  the  union  of  Church  and  State,  the 
infallibility  of  teaching,  have  been  transferred  into  the  major 
part  of  Christendom,  from  which  reformations  have  only 
secured  a  partial  deliverance. 

§  28.  If  any  one  still  fancies  that  polity  is  of  trifling  im- 
portance, he  needs  to  recall  the  price  at  which  the  liber- 
ties of  Protestantism  have  been  bought ;  for  it  was  on  the 
field  of  church  polity  and  through  a  sea  of  blood  that  they 
were  won,  and  it  is  only  on  the  same  field  that  they  can  be 
maintained.  The  Protestant  and  the  Puritan  reforms  had 
been  lost  altogether,  had  they  not  rested  ultimately  on  a 
theory  of  the  Church,  that  is,  church  government.  Calvin 
wrote  his  Institutes,  we  are  told,  in  order  to  convert  Francis 
L,  king  of  France.  "  It  was  a  decisive  moment  in  the  history 
of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Had  the  king,  to  whom  all  were 
looking,  been  converted,  the  nation  would  have  been  con- 
verted, and  the  conversion  of  France  would  have  given  a  new 
character  to  this  portion  of  history."  '^  To  have  done  this, 
however,  the  king's  conversion  must  have  led  him  to  break 
with  Rome  ;  and  his  spiritual  renewal  must  have  also  become 
an  ecclesiastical  conversion.  For  had  he  been  regenerated 
by  the  Spirit,  the  conversion  which  Calvin  desired  would 
have  occurred  only  in  part.  The  reformers  looked  for  more, 
for  the  adoption  also  of  the  great  Protestant  doctrine  of  the 
right  of  private  judgment  in  matters  spiritual,  out  of  which 
has  come  all  our  liberties.  Only  such  a  conversion  would 
have  changed  the  history  of  France  and  of  Europe.  For  sys- 
tems of  theology  may  come  and  go  under  the  same  polity, 
like  floods  in  a  river ;  even  reforms  may  arise  under  any 
mode  of  ecclesiastical  government ;  but  unless  they  reform 

n  Henry's  Life  of  Calviu,  53. 


THE  PREPARATOBY  DISPENSATIONS.  19 

the  polity  by  changing  its  nature,  or  break  loose  from  it,  or 
are  cast  out  by  it,  the  on-rushing  stream  soon  obliterates  all 
traces  of  the  reformation.  In  proof  of  this,  put  the  histories 
of  Germany,  Holland,  England,  and  Scotland  in  contrast  with 
the  histories  of  Italy,  Spain,  France,  and  Bohemia.  Great 
awakenings  in  the  former  countries  changed  their  histories, 
but  only  because  they  broke  away  from  the  polity  brought 
over  from  Judaism ;  but  similar  awakenings  in  the  latter 
countries  failed  utterly,  because  not  carried,  from  various 
causes,  into  separation  from  the  Papacy.  It  has  been  the 
ecclesiastical  reformations  that  have  saved  the  doctrinal  and 
spiritual  from  beating  like  tides  against  the  solid  rock.  As 
before  said  :  "  All  the  endeavors,  truly  reformatory,  down  to 
the  Reformation  had  the  idea  of  the  true  Church  in  some 
form  for  their  basis."  "'  The  Reformation  was  the  setting 
forth  of  a  new  conception  of  the  Church."  Reforms  from 
papal  errors  and  oppressions  have  failed  whenever  a  new  con- 
ception of  the  Church  has  for  any  reason  been  unable  to 
assert  itself  as  an  accomplished  fact,  and  such  reforms  must 
ever  fail. 

§  29.  The  difficult  task  falls,  therefore,  to  the  lot  of 
church  polity  of  separating  what  is  permanent  from  what  is 
transient  in  the  preparatory  dispensations,  and  of  embodying 
the  permanent  while  rejecting  the  transient  in  the  final 
Christian  polity.  In  other  words,  we  are  called  upon  to  trace 
the  normal  development  of  the  outgrowth  of  the  life  of  God 
in  human  history  from  its  primitive  germs  to  its  perfect  real- 
ization. We  have  seen  its  growth  from  the  family  form  into 
the  national,  which  itself  looked  forward  to  an  ecumenical 
and  everlasting  form.  It  is  the  part  of  students  of  church 
polity  to  unfold  the  true  doctrine  of  the  Church  of  God  in 
its  principles  and  details,  while  keeping  it  free  from  all 
attempted  regressions  into  the  outgrown  and  superseded,  and 
from  all  abnormal  developments.  Communions,  like  frag- 
ments, have  been  broken  oif  from  the  perverted  Christian 
forms,  and  they  have   approached  more   or  less  closely  the 


20  THE   CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

normal  and  final  polity.  We  seek  the  true ;  for  we  are 
taught  by  history  that  a  false  theory  of  church  government 
carried  Christendom  to  Rome,  as  it  has  carried  many  back 
to  Rome  since  the  Reformation.  Reforms  in  false  theories, 
until  they  reach  and  establish  a  better  doctrine  of  the 
Church,  are  floods  in  a  river,  tides  in  the  ocean,  which  come 
and  go,  and  leave  things  essentially  as  they  were  before. 


LECTURE   11. 

THE   KINGDOM    OF    HEAVEN  AND    ITS    MANIFESTATION. 

"  Preaching  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  teaching  the  things  concerning  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ."  —  Luke,  of  Saint  Paul. 

III.  —  THE    CHRISTIAN   DISPENSATION,  OR    THE   ECUMENICAL 
FORM   OP    THE    CHURCH    OF   GOD. 

§  30.  In  tracing  the  outgrowth  of  the  life  of  Christ  in 
the  hearts  of  men,  we  passed  hastily  through  the  preparatory 
forms,  until  they  developed  into  the  Christian  dispensation, 
which  is  only  the  kingdom  of  heaven  in  manifestation.  It 
is  evident  from  the  Gospels  that  Jesus  Christ  looked  upon 
the  kingdom  of  God,  or  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  as  the  foun- 
dation of  his  Church,  or  perhaps  we  should  rather  say 
that  he  viewed  his  Church  as  the  manifestation  of  his  king- 
dom.  Hence  he  dwelt  almost  exclusively,  in  his  teachings, 
on  the  kingdom.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  his  common 
phrase.  So  much  the  greater,  therefore,  is  our  wonder  that 
writers  on  Congregationalism  have  so  largely  ignored  all 
discussion  of  the  nature  and  relations  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  ;  ^  for  the  study  of  the  kingdom  is  the  natural  approach 
to  the  study  of  organic  Christianity.  Christ  viewed  his 
mission  as  the  setting  up  of  a  kingdom,  whose  characteristics 
he  took  great  pains  to  disclose.  Church  polity  should  there- 
fore be  studied  from  the   stand-point  of  the    kingdom,  from 

'  Hanbury,  at  great  pains,  has  gathered  into  three  large  volumes  of  Historical 
Memorials  the  history  and  writings  of  English  Congregationalists  from  their  modern 
beginning  to  the  Kes^toration,  in  l(j60,  but  the  word  kingdom  does  not  occur  in  his 
elaborate  index.  The  sunie  is  true  of  Felt's  Ecclesiastical  History  of  New  England, 
in  two  volumes,  covering  the  period  from  1620  to  1678.  These  volumes  of  Hanbui-\'  and 
Felt  cover  the  fruitful  formative  periods  of  Congregationalism  in  England  and 
America.  Dr.  Leonard  Bacon,  Dr.  Henry  M.  Dexter,  The  Congregational  Dictionary, 
and  others,  do  not  treat  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  while  setting  forth  its  manifestation. 
John  Cotton's  Keyes  of  the  Kingdom  devotes  only  a  few  lines  to  the  nature  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  This  general  silence  is  ominous,  since  the  term  is  found  so  fre- 
quently in  the  New  Testament  and  since  writers  of  other  polities  discuss  it  at  length. 


22  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

which  Christ  and  his  apostles  viewed  it.  Historical  Con- 
gregationalism ought  not  to  be  separated  from  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  as  its  normal  development.  Hence  we  shall  seek 
to  unfold  the  external  form  of  the  Christian  Church,  not 
from  the  imperfect  vision  of  those  who  revived  its  primitive 
manifestation  under  the  restrictions  of  an  unfavorable  en- 
vironment, but  from  the  clear  vision  of  its  Founder  and  his 
apostles,  who  gave  the  interior  formative  principles.  We 
hope  thus  to  reach  a  wider  and  completer  view  of  the  unity 
and  comprehension  of  the  Church  than  could  be  obtained  by 
any  merely  historical  treatment.  We  approach  this  inner, 
central,  and  comprehensive  view  with  reverence. 

I.  —  THE   KINGDOM    OF    HEAVEN. 

§  31.  It  would  seem  superfluous  to  prove  that  Christ  es- 
tablished a  reign  in  the  world  which  he  called  the  kingdom 
of  heaven,  or  the  kingdom  of  God,  or  the  kingdom,  were  it 
not  that  some  have  questioned  its  present  establishment. 
We  must,  therefore,  show  that  the  kingdom  has  been  already 
set  up,  of  which  the  Church  is  the  manifestation. 

(1)  The  establishment  of  a  kingdom  had  been  predicted. 
God  revealed  that  he  had  anointed  a  King  whose  rule  shall 
include  the  nations  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth 
(Ps.  2 :  6,  8),  whose  kingdom  shall  never  be  transferred  or 
destroyed,  but  which  shall  become  universal  and  endure  for- 
ever (Dan.  2:  44  ;  7:  14,  27).  The  birth-place  of  this  King 
was  declared  (Micah  5 :  2),  so  that  the  Sanhedrin  promptly 
answered  Herod's  question  where  the  Christ  should  be  born 
(Matt.  2  :  5),  and  the  star  led  the  magi  to  the  feet  of  the 
Prince  of  Peace,  when  born  in  Bethlehem.  The  character  of 
this  kingdom,  in  some  of  its  features,  and  the  time  and  place 
of  the  birth  of  its  King  were  foretold. 

(2)  Lest  the  Jews  should  not  be  prepared  to  welcome 
their  King  and  his  kingdom,  a  forerunner  came  to  announce 
both.  He  cried :  "  Re})ent  ye  ;  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
at  hand  (Matt.  3:2;  Mark  1 :  1-8).     Even  the  King  himself 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  HEAVEN.  23 

took  up  the  same  cry  (Matt.  4 :  17),  and  he  commanded  his 
apostles  to  proclaim  :  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand  " 
(Matt.  10 :  7).  The  seventy  were  charged  to  cry  in  every 
city  and  place  where  Jesus  was  about  to  come :  "  The  king- 
dom of  God  is  come  nigh  unto  you  "  (Lul?:e  10 :  9),  and  no 
opposition  was  to  prevent  their  crying  it  (Luke  10 :  11). 
Such  urgency  proves  that  in  the  mind  of  Christ  the  kingdom 
was  not  a  remote  reign,  not  even  now  begun,  as  some  teach, 
but  instead  a  near  and  almost  present  reign,  which  enabled 
him  even  then  to  say  :  "  Then  is  the  kingdom  of  God  come 
upon  you  "  (Matt.  12  :  28). 

(3)  Indeed,  the  gospel  is  declared  to  be  the  gospel  of  the 
kingdom.  Jesus  preached  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  (Matt. 
4:  23;  9:  35;  Luke  8 :  1);  and  he  said  to  the  Pharisees: 
"  The  law  and  the  prophets  were  until  John  :  from  that  time 
the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  of  God  is  preached"  (Luke  16  : 
16).  Philip  preached  in  Samaria  "  good  tidings  concerning 
the  kingdom  of  God  and  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ " 
(Acts  8  :  12).  And  Paul  in  Corinth  reasoned  and  per- 
suaded as  to  "  the  things  concerning  the  kingdom  of  God  " 
(Acts  19 :  8). 

(4)  Hence  it  was  a  natural  expression  they  used  when 
they  spoke  of  preaching  the  kingdom  of  God.  Christ  sent 
the  Twelve  "  to  preach  the  kingdom  of  God  "  (Luke  9  : 
2),  and  another  to  "  publish  abroad  the  kingdom  of  God " 
(Luke  9:  60).  Paul  "went  about  preaching  the  kingdom" 
(Acts  20  :  25),  "  testifying  the  kingdom  of  God,"  and 
"preaching  the  kingdom  of  God"  (Acts  28:  23,  31). 

(5)  The  kingdom  was  to  be  set  up  immediately.  Christ's 
words  are  emphatic  :  "  I  tell  you  of  a  truth.  There  be  some  of 
them  that  stand  here,  which  shall  in  no  wise  taste  of  death, 
till  they  see  the  kingdom  of  God  "  (Luke  9 :  27).  Li  other 
passages  he  asserted  not  a  distant,  but  a  present  or  imme- 
diate, kingdom  (Matt.  11  :  12 ;  Luke  22  :  29). 

(6)  The  kingdom  as  already  set  up  is  contrasted  with 
the  ceremonial   or    Mosaic    dispensation.     This   is  done  by 


24  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

Paul  as  respects  meats  (Rom.  14 :  17),  and  also  as  respects 
glory.  "  For  if  the  ministration  of  condemnation  is  glory, 
much  rather  doth  the  ministration  of  righteousness  exceed  in 
glory "  (2  Cor.  3 :  9).  So  glorious  a  thing  it  is  to  be  a 
Christian  that  the  least  in  this  kingdom  are  greater  than  the 
greatest  in  the  ceremonial  dispensation  (Matt.  11 :  11). 

(7)  Christ  based  his  command  to  evangelize  the  nations 
on  his  assumption  of  regal  power.  His  words  are :  "  All 
authority  hath  been  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  on  earth. 
Go  ye  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of  all  the  nations " 
(Matt.  28  :  18,  19). 

Thus  it  seems  clear  that  Christ  now  reigns  in  the  king- 
dom of  heaven,  a  kingdom  so  glorious  that  Mount  Sinai 
ceases  to  be  glorious  (2  Cor.  3 :  10,  11),  and  that  his 
kingdom  is  put  into  sharp  contrast  with  the  preceding 
dispensations.  The  preparatory  are  merged  in  the  per- 
manent, so  far  as  this  world  is  concerned  ;  though,  in  the 
final  consummation,  even  this  kingdom  shall  be  delivered 
up  unto  God  the  Father,  that  God  may  be  all  in  all  (1  Cor. 
15  :  24-28).  Meyer  remarks  that  the  expressions,  the  king- 
dom of  heaven,  the  kingdom  of  God,  the  kingdom,  "  never 
signify  any  thing  else  than  the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah,  even 
in  those  passages  where  they  appear  to  denote  the  (invisible) 
Church,  the  moral  kingdom  of  the  Christian  religion,  or  such 
like."  2 

§  32.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  the  reign  of  Christ  in 
the  world  as  respects  redeemed  humanity,  with  its  divinely 
revealed  destiny,  manifesting  itself  in  the  Christian  dispen- 
sation. There  are  certain  characteristics  or  notes  which 
define  the  kingdom  more  accurately,  and  are  more  or  less 
essential  to  its  existence. 

(1)  A  kingdom  involves  the  loyalty  of  its  subjects  to  the 
king.  It  is  so  here.  Christ  is  King,  and  loyalty  to  him  is 
essential.  He  has  the  sole  power  to  enact  laws.  In  him 
rests  the  sole  power  of  executing  those  laws.     If  any  claim 

=  Com.  on  Matt.  3 :  2. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  HEAVEN.  25 

to  act  for  him,  they  must  present  their  commission.  For  the 
King  is  supreme  and  over  all,  God  blessed  forever.  He  is 
Head  over  all  things  to  the  Church,  which  is  his  body  (Eph. 
1  :  22,  23).  Hence  none  but  he  can  be  called  Master  (Matt. 
23 :  10).  Personal  allegiance,  or  loyalty,  is  due  from  each 
and  ever}'  one,  and  exists,  so  far  as  his  reign  extends,  in 
human  hearts.  "  My  sheep  hear  my  voice,  and  I  know 
them,  and  they  follow  me  "  (John  10 :  27),  are  his  tender 
words.  There  can  be  neither  neutrality  (Matt.  12  :  30)  nor 
divided  service  (Matt.  6  :  24).  To  guide  them  into 
all  the  truth,  he  sent  his  Spirit  to  take  his  place  with  his 
disciples  (John  14  :  2(3 ;  16  :  13),  so  that  what  the  apostles 
taught  was  "  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  "  (1  Cor.  14:  37). 
This  loyalty  involves  love,  faith,  obedience,  all  secured  and 
nourished  by  the  abounding  grace  of  the  King. 

(2)  Unity  is  also  an  essential  element  of  the  kingdom. 
The  kingdom  is  one,  and  not  many.  It  can  not  be  divided. 
A  part  can  not  be  severed  from  the  rest  and  remain  still  a 
part  of  the  kingdom.  To  ])e  separated  from  it  is  to 
apostatize.  It  is  one  and  inseparable,  now  and  forever 
(Matt.  12:  25). 

(3)  Another  essential  characteristic  is  holiness.  It  is  a 
holy  kingdom.  Its  King  is  sinless ;  and  his  life,  penetrating 
humanity  through  the  Holy  Ghost,  begets  a  kindred  holy 
life,  while  the  past  sins  are  forgiven  (Rom.  3 :  25,  26). 
Christ  abides  in  the  believing  subject  "  the  hope  of  glory  " 
(John  14 :  23 ;  Col,  1 :  27),  and  the  saint  becomes  thus  a 
partaker  of  the  divine  nature  (2  Pet.  1:4).  The  kingdom 
is  righteousness  and  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost  (Rom. 
14:  17),  which  the  wicked  can  not  enter  into  or  inherit  (Jolni 
3  :  3,  5 ;  1  Cor.  6:9;  Gal.  5  :  21 ;  Eph.  5  :  4,  5). 

(4)  This  kingdom  is  invisible ;  that  is,  wliile  it  manifests 
itself  in  life  and  institutions,  and  must  do  so,  that  manifesta- 
tion is  neither  identical  nor  conterminous  with  the  kingdom. 
Hence  while  in  the  world  the  kingdom  is  not  of  the  world 
(John  18 ;  33,  36)  :  its  subjects  can  not  be  known  exactly 


26  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

except  by  the  King  (2  Tim.  2 :  19)  ;  many  claiming  to  belong 
to  it  do  not  (Matt.  7  :  21-23)  :  for  its  tests  are  not  outward 
rites,  but  a  new  creature  (Gal.  6  :  15).  Such  a  kingdom 
has  no  metes  and  bounds  that  are  every-where  discernible  by 
men.  Judas  and  Ananias  and  Magus  deceived  the  apostles. 
Hence  invisibility  characterizes  the  kingdom.  We  see  the 
manifestation,  but  we  can  not  discern  precisely  where  the 
Spirit  operates  (John  3:8).  We  stand  here  at  the  parting  of 
the  ways,  and  the  wrong  road,  as  we  shall  in  due  time  see, 
leads  to  Rome  (§  32  :  5). 

(5)  Infallibility  may  also  be  predicated  of  the  kingdom : 
for  a  kingdom  includes  king,  laws,  and  subjects.  The  King 
is  infallible ;  his  laws  are  infallible ;  and  so  we  may  speak  of 
the  kingdom  as  infallible,  though  its  subjects  err  in  judg- 
ment and  in  heart.  The  inspiration  given  by  the  King  to 
prophet  and  apostle  was  also  infallible.  Make  the  kingdom 
and  its  manifestation  identical,  as  the  Romanists  do,  and  we 
have,  by  one  short  step,  Papal  infallibility.  Through  fear 
we  will  not  deny  the  fact  that  infallibility  belongs  as  an 
essential  element  to  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  For  its  King 
is  infallible  ;  the  Spirit  animating  the  kingdom  is  infallible ; 
its  law  is  infallible  (John  1:1;  Col.  2:3;  John  16  :  13 ;  1 
Cor.  14:  37).  But,  notwithstanding  this,  infallibility  can  not 
be  predicated  of  the  manifestation  of  the  kingdom,  since  tliat 
manifestation  passes  through  a  fallible  medium,  human 
nature.  Yet  the  nearer  an  ecumenical  agreement  among 
saints  is  reached,  the  more  is  individual  infirmity  eliminated 
and  ecclesiastical  infallibility  attained.  This  arises  from  the 
working  of  God  in  believers'  hearts,  for  his  good  pleasure 
(Phil.  2:  13).  The  Romish  error  runs  nearer  the  truth 
than  Protestants  have  imagined.  If  the  bold  assumption 
that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  and  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
are  one  and  identical  be  granted,  Papal  infallibility  follows. 
We  hold  the  infallibility  of  the  kingdom,  but  deny  the 
infallibility  of  the  churches  :  for  the  kingdom  and  the  visible 
manifestation  are  not  identical. 


THE  KINGDOM   OF  HEAVEN.  Tj 

(6)  The  kingdom  is  without  end,  everlasting,  perpetual 
(Dan.  7:  14;  Luke  1:  33).  It  is  called  "the  eternal  king- 
dom of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ "  (2  Peter  1 : 
11).  Its  subjects  are  bought  with  "an  eternal  redemption," 
and  rewarded  with  "  eternal  life,"  "  eternal  comfort,"  "  eter- 
nal salvation,"  "the  eternal  inheritance,"  and  an  "eternal 
weight  of  glory."  Perpetuity  is  therefore  a  characteristic 
of  it.  This  }»erpetmty  precludes  change.  The  Christian  is 
not  to  give  place  to  another  dispensation.  It  will  continue 
to  the  end  of  the  world,  when  the  mediatorial  King  will 
"  deliver  up  the  kingdom  to  God,  even  the  Father  .  .  .  that 
God  may  be  all  in  all "  (1  Cor.  15  :  24-28) ;  yet  the  kingdom 
exists  in  glory  forever. 

(7)  Before  that  great  and  notable  day  the  kingdom  will 
gather  into  itself  all  the  nations.  It  will  become  universal 
in  extent  and  comprehension  (Matt.  13 :  31-33 ;  28 :  19 ; 
Rev.  11:  15;  Dan.  7:  13,  14).  Universality  is  a  distin- 
guishing mark  of  the  kingdom. 

(8)  Among  the  innumerable  subjects  of  this  kingdom, 
there  is  equality.  It  is  not  a  kingdom  of  classes  and  hie- 
rarchies. It  has  no  aristocracy.  It  is  a  brotherhood  and 
therefore  a  democracy,  the  republic  of  God.  The  greatest 
in  the  kingdom  are  those  who  serve  and  obey  best  (Matt.  5  : 
19;  23  :  11).  Ambition  for  place  is  repressed,  and  all  must 
become  as  little  children  (Matt.  18:  1-3).  There  is  but 
one  Master;  all  others  are  brethren  (Matt.  23:  8-10).  To 
enter  the  kingdom  all  must  be  born  anew,  and  all  must  have 
love,  faith,  repentance.  The  same  privileges  are  opened  to 
all,  and  the  same  trials  are  to  be  endured  by  all.  All  have 
essentially  the  same  duties  and  the  same  rewards.  Even  the 
King  humbled  himself  to  the  condition  of  a  servant,  that  he 
might  be  the  tirstborn  among  many  brethren  (Phil.  2 :  5-11 ; 
Rom.  8  :  29).     All  in  it  are  one  (Gal.  8  :  28). 

§  33.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  thus  marked  by  loyalty, 
unity,  holiness,  invisibility,  infallibility,  perpetuity,  univer- 
sality, and  equality.     The  notes,  or  characteristics,  are  some- 


28  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

times  carried  up  to  fifteen  and  sometimes  reduced  to  four. 
But  whether  less  or  more,  they  distinguish  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  from  all  other  kingdoms.  It  is  peculiar.  It  is  unlike 
the  preceding  dispensations.  It  is  the  consummate  out- 
growth of  the  life  of  God  in  human  history  and  is  worthy 
the  admiring  study  of  angels  (1  Peter  1 :  12)  and  the 
acceptance  of  all  men  (Rev.  15  :  3,  4).  It  has  been  defined 
as  "  The  gathering  together  of  men,  under  God's  eternal 
law  of  righteous  love,  by  the  vital  power  of  his  redeeming 
love  in  Jesus  Christ,  brought  to  bear  upon  them  through  the 
Holy  Spirit."  3 

Dr.  Candlish  makes  the  kingdom  cover,  as  we  have  done, 
both  reign,  or  exercise  of  kingly  power,  and  realm,  or  sub- 
jects of  such  power.  The  kingdom  is  "  a  society  bound 
together  by  certain  laws  and  ruled  by  a  power  which  guides 
the  action  of  the  parts  and  of  the  whole  to  an  end  that  is 
adequate  and  good."  '*  We  can  but  think  that  the  best  defi- 
nition is  that  which  enumerates  the  characteristics  of  the 
kingdom. 

§  34.  The  kingdom  is  still  more  clearly  defined  by  ob- 
serving the  conditions  of  admission  into  it.  Those  condi- 
tions must  correspond,  of  course,  with  the  nature  of  the 
kingdom.  As  the  kingdom  is  spiritual  and  holy,  a  man  is 
not  admitted  by  natural  birth,  but  by  the  renewal  of  the 
heart  (John  1 :  13 ;  3 :  3,  5) ;  nor  can  outward  rites  admit 
to  it,  but  only  a  new  creation  (Gal.  6 :  15),  which  issues  in 
"repentance  toward  God,  and  faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ"  (Acts  20:  21).  And  these  conditions  are  essen- 
tially the  same  as  were  required  under  the  preparatory  dispen- 
sations, as  is  shown  in  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Hebrews. 
They,  through  grace,  make  a  man  holy,  spiritually  minded, 
a  true  child  of  Abraham  (2  Chron.  7  :  14 ;  Is.  55 :  7 ;  Rom. 
2:  28,  29;  8:  5-8;  Gal.  3:  29). 

§  35.     The  kingdom  is  still  to  be  distinguished  from  what 

3  The  Kingdom  of  God,  by  Prof.  J.  S.  Candlish,  d.d.,  197. 
*  Ibid.  399. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  HEAVEN.  29 

is  called  the  Church  universal,  which  includes  all  the  saved. 
There  is  one  tlock  and  one  Shepherd  (John  10  :  16),  one 
body  and  one  Head  (Eph.  5 :  29,  30),  one  Mediator  (1  Tim. 
2  :  5),  and  one  Name  by  which  men  can  be  saved  (Acts  4 : 
12).  To  be  out  of  this  Church  is  to  be  destitute  of  love, 
faith,  penitence,  salvation.  Here  again  we  see  the  perver- 
sion which  Rome  makes  in  applying  to  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  what  is  true  only  of  the  Church  universal,  namely : 
"Out  of  the  Church  there  is  no  salvation."  In  making  its 
own  visible  communion  the  only  true  Church  of  God,  the 
Roman  Church  must  make  baptism  essential,  or  "necessary 
unto  salvation."  "  It  is  impossible  to  be  saved  without  it."^ 
The  Church  of  God,  or  the  Church  universal,  includes  all 
the  saved  in  all  the  dispensations  of  grace  and  is  wider  than 
the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

§  36.  (1)  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  partly  on  earth  and 
partly  in  heaven,  and  is  constantly  coming.  Its  incarnate 
King  ascended  into  heaven  at  his  inauguration,  saying,  "  All 
authority  hath  been  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  on  earth. 
Go  ye  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of  all  the  nations,"  etc. 
(Matt.  28 :  18,  19).  He  reigns  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of 
lords,  synchronizing,  or  timing,  his  providential  rule  with 
the  work  of  his  Spirit,  so  as  to  bring  the  best  results  out  of 
the  labors  of  his  disciples,  while  preparing  the  nations  for 
evangelization.  He  shall  thus  govern  until  every  knee  shall 
bow,  and  every  tongue  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to 
the  glory  of  God  the  Father  (Phil.  2 :  10,  11),  and  until  he 
shall  deliver  up  his  kingdom  unto  the  Father  (1  Cor.  15 : 
24).  He  thus  reigns  in  heaven.  Besides  this,  all  who  die 
in  him  go  to  be  with  him  where  he  is  (Luke  23 :  43 ;  Acts 
7:  59;  Rev.  7:  9).  They  are  in  the  kingdom  still,  but 
enjoying  its  glory.  Others  are  in  the  kingdom  on  earth, 
training  in  the  school  of  Christ,  under  the  eye  of  the  Master, 
for  the  same  blessed  abode.  Thus  a  part  are  over  the  river, 
a  part  are  crossing  now,  a  part  are  following  on  —  all  cheered 
by  the  smile  of  their  ascended  and  glorified  King. 

5  Canons  of  Trent,  on  Baptism,  v;  Cat.  of  Perseverance,  210. 


30  THE   CHUBCH-KINODOM. 

(2)  It  is  manifest  that  the  kingdom  must  be  constantly 
coming,  or  else  all  the  saints  would  soon  be  in  heaven.  The 
Spirit  is  continually  renewing  the  hearts  of  men  and  sanc- 
tifying them,  and  so  the  leaven  is  working,  the  mustard-seed 
is  growing,  and  the  kingdom  is  extending.  The  line  of 
progress  is  not  steady  ;  it  wavers  here  and  there  ;  it  advances 
and  recedes  now  and  then  :  but  on  the  whole,  it  is  advancing, 
with  the  promise  of  final  conquest.  Christ  "  must  reign,  till 
he  hath  put  all  his  enemies  under  his  feet"  (1  Cor.  15 :  25). 
The  prayer,  "  Thy  kingdom  come,"  is  being  answered. 

Thus  Christ  has  already  set  up  a  kingdom  upon  earth, 
peculiar  in  its  notes  or  characteristics.  Such  a  kingdom 
must  manifest  itself,  and,  coming  into  a  world  of  sin,  it 
must  cause  strife  and  stir  (Matt.  10:  34-36).  It  is  revolu- 
tionary, overturning  whatever  opi)Oses,  and  reconstructing 
on  the  principles  of  righteousness  and  peace  and  joy  in  the 
Holy  Ghost.     This  will  go  on  until  the  final  consummation. 

XI. THE   KINGDOM    OF    HEAVEN    IN    MANIFESTATION. 

§  37.  It  is  the  nature  of  life  to  manifest  itself  in  some 
organism  ;  and  the  life  of  Christ,  penetrating  human  history, 
—  constituting  a  spiritual,  holy,  progressive  kingdom,— 
must  manifest  itself  in  human  conduct  and  institutions.  It 
can  not  be  hidden.  The  leaven,  by  the  law  of  its  being, 
must  work.  The  seed  must  grow  or  die.  Light  must 
shine,  and  fire  burn.  So  in  a  world  "  dead  through  tres- 
passes and  sins  "  (Eph.  2  :  1),  the  life  of  God,  to  reach  its 
ends,  must  renew  the  heart  of  the  individual,  establish  the 
communion  of  saints,  and  found  institutions  for  fellowship 
and  nurture.  The  redemption  of  a  lost  world  must  be  a 
manifested  work.  But  as  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  a  devel- 
opment from  the  preceding  dispensations,  its  manifestation 
must  show  close  connection  with  them.  There  is  more  than 
a  mere  succession ;  there  is  also  a  continuation.  There  is  a 
unity  of  life  running  through  the  patriarchal,  the   ceremo- 


THE  KINGDOM  MANIFESTED.  31 

nial,  and  the  Christian  dispensations,  as  unity  of  life  runs 
through  the  larva,  the  chrysalis,  and  the  butterfly.  We  can 
trace  this  continuity. 

(1)  The  ceremonial  dispensation  was  bound  to  the  patri- 
archal, not  only  by  love,  and  faith,  and  repentance,  and  the 
redemptive  scheme,  but  also  by  a  special  covenant  made 
with  Abraham  and  sealed  by  circumcision.  The  Seed  of  the 
woman,  the  Messiah,  constitutes  the  central  unity,  the  divine 
bond  of  continuity,  as  the  covenant  and  seal  constitute  the 
organic  lines  of  development. 

(2)  The  Christian  dispensation  was  bound  to  the  cere- 
monial as  a  flower  to  its  stem,  not  only  by  love,  faith, 
repentance,  the  covenant,  and  the  Messiah  and  King,  but 
also  by  rites  and  forms  of  worship.  "  The  Church  polity  of 
our  first  century  does  not  present  itself  as  a  fresh  creation, 
but  rather  as  a  continuation  of  a  regime  already  there, 
simply  modified  to  fit  the  needs  of  the  new  spiritual  life  and 
purposes."  ^  Here  too  there  was  more  than  a  succession : 
there  was  a  continuation,  a  development. 

§  38.  But  the  method  of  this  development,  and  hence  of 
manifestation,  was  not  comprehended  by  the  Jews.  How 
the  Son  of  David  should  ascend  the  throne  of  his  father  and 
rule  the  world  was  by  no  means  clear,  not  even  to  his  chosen 
apostles  (Acts  1:6),  while  his  disciples  held  a  most  per- 
verted conception  respecting  it  (John  6 :  15).  Yet  the 
spiritual  nature  of  the  kingdom  had  been  revealed,  and  it 
was  in  ways  suited  thereto  that  Jesus  sought  to  establish 
§nd  manifest  his  glorious  kingdom.  A  process  of  separation 
along  a  spiritual  line  was  begun  by  John  the  Baptist  in  the 
baptism  of  repentance.  He  separated  the  Jews,  imperfectly 
indeed,  on  the  line  of  faith  and  repentance  (Matt.  3 :  5,  6), 
as  they  were  separated  from  others  on  the  line  of  carnal 
descent  from  Abraham  (John  8  :  39).  He  laid  the  axe  unto 
the  root  of  the  trees  (Matt.  3  :  10),  thus  beginning  a  process 
of  separation   which   the  winnowing-fan   of  Christ   should 

e  Prof.  E.  B.  Andrews,  in  40  Bib.  Sac.  51. 


32  THE   CHUBCH- KIXGD03L 

continue  (Matt.  3:  12).  Christ  took  up  the  process  of  his 
forerunner  and  carried  on  the  winnowing,  tlioroughly  cleans- 
ing his  threshing-floor,  until  a  complete  separation  was 
effected  on  or  along  the  spiritual  boundary  of  his  kingdura. 
The  multitudes  that  followed  him  were  divided ;  those  who 
looked  for  the  establishment  of  a  world-wide  temporal  king- 
dom more  and  more  deserted  him  ;  while  those  who  dimly 
discerned  a  spiritual  realm,  after  long  and  patient  training 
(John  16  :  31),  clung  hesitatingly  to  him.  His  fan  was  in 
his  hand.  The  process  of  separation  hastened.  He  jour- 
neyed, and  preached,  and  warned,  and  wrought  miracles,  and 
prayed,  until  the  great  majority  rejected  and  crucified  their 
Messiah.  "  He  came  unto  his  own,  and  they  that  were  his 
own  received  him  not.  But  as  many  as  received  him,  to 
them  gave  he  the  right  to  become  children  of  God  "  (John 
1 :  11,  12).  That  is,  all  Israel,  the  nation  of  priests,  the 
kahal,  or  congregation,  or  Church  of  God,  as  externally 
organized,  were  cut  off  from  all  the  privileges  and  promises 
of  the  covenant  as  children  of  Abraham,  and  from  the 
law  of  Moses  as  the  kahal,  or  congregation  of  Israel,  by 
the  one  act  of  crucifixion,  except  the  little  band  of  Christ's 
recognized  disciples.  They  remained  the  true  kahal  of 
Israel.  All  other  Jews  therein  became  apostates.  The 
process  of  winnowing  had  cleansed  the  threshing-floor. 

§  39.  Thus  through  Christ's  first  disciples  the  Church  of 
God  was  continued.  They  then  constituted  it  on  earth. 
They  were  the  wheat  separated  from  a  nation  of  chaff,  the 
true  seed  of  Abraham,  the  "little  flock,"  to  whom  the 
Father  gave  the  kingdom  (Luke  12 :  32).  They  became 
the  Christian  Church,  recognized  and  ordained  as  such  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost  (Acts  2:  1-4).  They  had  fulfilled  all 
righteousness  in  keeping  the  ritual  law,  and  so  needed  not 
to  be  baptized  and  were  never  baptized  with  Christian  bap- 
tism. They  were  the  Church  in  transition.  All  that  joined 
them,  after  their  divine  recognition  as  such  on  Pentecost, 
were  baptized  into  Christ  (Acts  2 :  38,  41 ;  8  :  38 ;  11 :  16  ; 


THE  KINGDOM  MANIFESTED.  33 

etc.).  A  striking  case  was  the  baptism  of  John's  disciples 
at  Ephesus,  a.d.  5(3  (Acts  19 :  3-5).  As  the  winnowing,  or 
separation,  had  left  all  who  had  not  become  disciples  of 
Jesus  outside  the  Church,  no  one  could  be  admitted  to  fel- 
lowship except  through  the  rite  of  Christian  baptism,  as 
Christ  had  enjoined  (Matt.  28:  19).  There  was  no  cleav- 
age, no  mere  succession,  but  instead  continuity,  develop- 
ment, evolution,  the  passing  of  the  family  Church  into  the 
national,  and  the  national  into  the  ecumenical  form.  The 
three  dispensations  are  not  three  precious  stones  placed  in 
divine  succession,  but  the  same  life  of  God  in  human  his- 
tory, growing  out  of  the  limitations  of  narrower  forms  into 
the  universal  and  unlimited :  one  Church  in  three  forms. 

§  40.  As  was  natural  and  inevitable,  the  manifestation  of 
the  kingdom  rejected  much  which  belonged  to  the  ceremo- 
nial dispensation  and  retained  what  could  be  used.  The 
national  could  not  be  stretched  into  the  ecumenical,  and 
every  attempt  to  do  it  has  fettered  the  feet  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Paul  regarded  the  Jews  as  "  kept  in  ward  under 
the  law,"  as  under  a  "  tutor,"  and  not  as  sons  in  true  liberty. 
The  Aaronic  priesthood,  the  ceremonial  law,  the  altar,  the 
sacrifices,  the  feasts,  the  temple,  the  place  and  mode  of  wor- 
ship, the  dress  of  those  officiating,  were  all  fulfilled  in 
Christ.  They  have  been  outgrown  and  abolished,  as  is 
elaborately  declared  in  Hebrews  (see  especially  9:  12,  25, 
26;  10:  12,  18;  7:  18,19):  "The  bond  written  in  ordi- 
nances," .  .  .  Christ  took  it  "  out  of  the  way,  nailing  it  to  the 
cross"  (Col.  2:  14).  Men  thereafter  could  worship  God 
acceptably  anywhere  and  in  any  way,  if  in  spirit  and  in 
truth  (John  4:  21-23).  Hence  adhesion  thereafter  to  the 
ceremonial  law  is  rightly  called  bondage  (Gal.  5 :  1)  and  a 
falling  away  from  the  scheme  of  grace,  if  relied  on  for 
salvation  (Gal.  5:  2-4). 

But  the  kingdom  retains  in  its  manifestation  the  Sabbath; 
the  family ;  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  adding  to  them  the  law 
of  the  New   Covenant,  which  all   communions  hold  to   be 


34  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

inspired ;  the  cardinal  virtues,  which  here  find  their  fullest 
development ;  the  vicarious  atonement  through  sacrifice,  for 
'Christ  offered  once  for  all  his  own  life  a  ransom  for  the 
world ;  and  the  priesthood  in  Christ,  a  new  order,  "  after  the 
power  of  an  endless  life  "  (Hel).  7  :  16).  In  short,  the  man- 
ifested kingdom  retains  all  the  essentials  of  the  preceding 
dispensations  and  so  many  of  the  incidentals  as  could  be 
adapted  to  a  free,  spiritual,  ecumenical  Church,  and  rejected 
all  the  rest. 

§  -il.  One  of  these  incidentals  retained  in  substance  is 
the  synagogue  form  of  worship.  We  have  already  alluded 
(§  25)  to  this  outgrowth  of  the  religious  life  of  the  Jews, 
but  it  needs  fuller  treatment.  For  "  as  the  Christian  Church 
rests  historically  on  the  Jewish  Church,  so  Christian  worship 
and  the  congregational  organization  rest  on  that  of  the  syn- 
agogue and  cannot  be  well  understood  without  it."  ^  As  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  manifests  itself  chiefly  in  and  through 
local  congregations,  and  worship  therein,  we  call  attention  to 
the  origin  of  this  kind  of  worship. 

(1)  The  synagogue  form  of  worship  had  its  origin  in  a 
want  which  the  national  worship  could  not  itself  satisfy 
(§  25).  The  Babylonian  captivity  revealed  the  inadequacy 
of  the  temple  service,  from  which  relief  was  found  in 
synagogues.  These  the  dispersion  made  universal  and 
popular.  Without  a  temple,  sacrifices,  feasts,  and  the 
ordained  worship,  there  sprung  up,  how  we  do  not  know,  an 
unauthorized  kind  of  worship  in  local  congregations,  which 
was  both  a  necessity  and  a  prophecy,  a  sign  of  the  decadence 
of  the  national  establishment  and  the  hope  of  better  things, 
if  not  of  a  new  dispensation. 

(2)  Born  in  the  sorrows  of  captivity,  when  Israel's  harps 
hung  upon  the  willows  in  Babylon,  the  synagogue  would 
have  been  rejected  after  the  return  as  the  remembrancer  of 
exile,  had  it  not  met  a  universal  want  —  a  want  so  common 
that,   in    Christ's   time,    "  not   a   town,    not    a    village,    if 

'  Hist.  Christ.  Ch.  i,  4.56,  by  Dr.  Philip  Schaff. 


SYNAGOGUE   WORSHIP.  35 

it  numbered  only  ten  men  .  .  .  bnt  liad  one  or  more 
synagogues."  The  number  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem  was 
about  four  hundred.  It  is  held  that  a  synagogue  invaded 
the  holy  temple  — "  an  incongruous  mixture  of  man- 
derived  worship  with  the  God-ordained  typical  rites  of  the 
sanctuary."  Yet  Christ  sanctioned  synagogue  worship  by 
regular  attendance  upon  it  (Luke  4  :  16  ;  John  18  :  20). 
The  synagogue  was  more  than  the  temple  in  the  nurture  of 
religious  life  and  faith. 

(3)  For  the  synagogue  worship  was  local,  congregational, 
weekly  ;  laymen,  women,  and  children  could  and  did  meet 
every  Sabbath  to  hear  the  law  and  the  prophets  and  to  offer 
praise  and  prayer.  A  building  suited  to  the  needs  of  the 
place  was  built.  The  worship  consisted  in  reading  the  law 
and  prophets,  the  nineteen  prayers,  the  chanting,  tlie  preach- 
ing or  expounding  of  the  Scriptures,  and  the  amen  responded 
by  the  people.  "Any  Jew  of  age  might  get  up  to  read  the 
lesson,  offer  prayer,  and  address  the  congregation."^  Each 
synagogue  elected  its  own  officers,  the  ruler  and  his  two 
associates,  the  three  almoners,  or  deacons,  and  the  council. 
"  Each  synagogue  formed  an  independent  republic,  but  kept 
up  a  regular  correspondence  with  other  synagogues.  It  was 
also  a  civil  and  religious  court,  and  had  power  to  excom- 
municate and  to  scourge  offenders."^  All  the  affairs  of  a 
synagogue,  worship  and  government,  were  under  the  exclu- 
sive control  of  laymen.  No  priest  had  any  part  in  them. 
Each  synagogue  was  independent  of  the  rest,  whether  taken 
singly  or  collectively. 

(4)  It  is  clear  that  synagogue  worship  could  be  carried 
anywhere  and  offered  by  any  Jew  of  age.  It  was  perfectly 
suited  to  ecumenical  extension.  It  had  already  extended 
wherever  the  Jews  had  been  dispersed,  before  Christ  came. 
It  could  be  carried  throughout  the  world.  The  apostles  and 
disciples  at  first  were   all  laymen,  but  as  such  they  could 


8  Hist.  Christ.  Churcli,  Dr.  Scliaff,  i,  459. 

9  Ibid.  45S. 


36 


THE   CHUECH- KINGDOM. 


preach  Clhrist  in  any  synagogue.     They  availed  themselves 
of  this  privilege.     When,  therefore,  the  kingdom  was  set  up, 
this  familiar  and  capable  mode  of  worship  had  been  prepared 
for  it.     It  was  known  to  all  Jews  and  devout  Gentiles.     The 
kingdom  seized  upon  this  mode  of  worship  for  its  extension 
(Acts  0  :  20  ;    13  :    5  ;    14  :    1 ;  17  :   1,  2,  10,  17  ;  18  :    4,  19, 
26  ;    19  :    8)  ;  .for  Christian  worship  in  local  churches  had 
both  its  starting-point  and  model  in  the  Jewish  synagogue. 
More     recent    investigations    tend   strongly   to   show   that 
among  the  Gentiles  a  similar  preparation  for  the  Christian 
ecclesia  had  been  made  in  the  heathen  clubs  that  abounded. 
§  42.    And  it  is  in  and  through  these  local  churches  that 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  chiefly  manifests  itself  in  the  world. 
It  is  true  that  it  must  show  itself  also  in  the  lives  of  the 
renewed.     The  divine  life  begotten  in  regeneration  bears  the 
fruit  of  the  Spirit  in  holy  living  (Matt.  5  :    16  ;    Gal.  5  :    22, 
23).     "  By  this  shall  all  men  know,"  says  the  King,  «  that  ye 
are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  to  another  "  (John  13  : 
35).     A  love  that  treats  all  men  as  brothers  will  distinguish 
those  that  possess  it,  until  the  whole  course  of  human  history 
has  been  changed.     Without  it,  we  are  nothing  (1  Cor.  13 : 
1-3).     But  we  mistake  greatly  if  we  regard  individual  holy 
lives  as  the  chief  manifestation  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ; 
for  such  lives  do  not  appear  where  local  churches  do  not 
exist.    The  Cliristian  life  is  not  an  isolation,  but  a  fellowship. 
It  constitutes  believers  one  flock,  one  body.     The  commun- 
ion of  saints  is  essential  to  its  nurture,  if  not  to  its  begetting. 
Hence  it  appears  almost  exclusively  in  communities.     It  is 
hardly  too  much  to  say  that  if  the  fellowship  found  in,  and 
fostered   by,  local  churches  were  to  cease,  individual  holy 
living  would  largely  cease  from  among  men. 

(1)  The  Holy  Spirit  makes  fellowship  the  channel  of 
blessing.  When,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the  disciples  were 
baptized  of  the  Spirit  for  their  work,  they  were  not  taken 
singly  while  at  private  prayer,  but  when  "  they  were  all  to- 
gether in  one  place."     "  The  tongues  parting  asunder  "   "  sat 


FELLOWSHIP    THE   CHANNEL    OF  BLESSING.  37 

upon  each  one  of  them"  (Acts  2 :  1,  3).  It  has  been  so  ever 
since  ;  the  collected  Church,  and  not  the  individual  member, 
being  the  channel  of  the  Spirit's  blessing.  Revivalists  seldom 
labor  where  the  Church  or  churches  can  not  be  aroused  to  con- 
certed prayer  and  labor,  thus  confirming  this  fundamental 
law  of  the  kingdom,  that  "■  through  the  church  the  manifold 
wisdom  of  God,"  "in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord,"  is  "made 
known "  (Eph.  3 :  10,  11).  The  same  is  confirmed  by  the 
failure  of  those  who  discard  organization  (  §  27 :  1).  The 
local  church  in  any  place,  not  the  ministry,  not  any  outside 
organization,  is  the  organ  of  the  Spirit,  a  fact  needing  em- 
phatic assertion  at  the  present  time. 

(2)  Hence  we  can  see  why  the  apostles  founded  churches 
every-where.  They  preached  in  synagogues  and  formed  their 
followers  into  churches.  The  separation  from  the  synagogues 
was,  however,  slowly  effected.  But  as  necessity  arose, 
churches  were  planted  alongside  the  synagogues,  as  ^organic 
centers  of  life  and  labors.  For  "the  apostles  do  not  rest 
satisfied  with  the  conversion  of  individuals  as  such,  nor  with 
leaving  with  each  believer  a  book  or  a  rule  of  life  for  his 
own  personal  guidance.  Every-where  they  seek  to  organize 
a  society :  the  '  bretlii'en,'  the  '  disciples,'  the  '  saints,' 
are  formed  into  a  church,  that  is,  an  ecclesia,  or  congre- 
gation ;  and  that  society  receives  a  distinct  and  definite 
constitution."  ^^ 

(3)  For  the  same  reason  the  kingdom  has  ever  appeared 
in  local  churches  wherever  it  has  obtained  a  foothold.  It 
matters  not  what  theory  of  the  Church  has  l)een  held,  neigh- 
borhood churches  have  been  formed  by  this  law  of  fellow- 
ship. Christ  honors  the  smallest  church  with  his  presence 
(Matt.  18:  20).  This  local  organization  is  the  universal 
manifestation  of  the  kingdom.  Its  subjects  thus  Ijehave  in 
all  lands  and  ages,  therein  revealing  a  law  of  tiie  kingdom, 
which  surmounts  all  obstacles.  As  the  law  of  gravitation 
has  its  way,  so  this  law  of  fellowship  has  its  wav  in  the  realm 

'"  Introrl.  to  Acts,  by  Prof.  Plumptre. 


38  THE   CHUBCH-  KIYGDOM. 

of  Cliiist.  Persecution,  even  death,  has  not  been  able  to 
prevent  church  assemblies.  If  harried  out  of  one  country, 
believers  brave  the  wilderness  in  obedience  to  it.  Similarity 
of  wants,  experiences,  hopes,  trials,  labors,  tends  to  foster 
fellowship  in  local  churches ;  bnt  the  origin  and  continuance 
of  churches  lies  deeper,  in  a  law  of  the  one  indivisible  king- 
dom of  heaven. 

§  43.  But  the  lives  of  believers  and  the  local  congregations 
are  not  the  whole  manifestation  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
among  men.  The  boundaries  of  fellowship  for  each  Christian 
are  wider  than  the  roll  of  the  church  to  which  he  belongs. 
Its  membership  is  not  the  limit  of  communion  and  labors. 
The  kingdom  includes  all  true  churches,  and  hence  coming 
into  the  kingdom  brings  one  into  union  with  all  such 
churches,  while  each  church  from  its  constitution  and  nature 
is  in  fellowship  with  all  the  rest.  It  is  not  a  separate  integer, 
but  a  related  factor ;  and  hence  each  church  seeks  to  express 
in  some  suitable  Avay  its  relation  to  all  other  organically 
manifested  parts  of  the  one  kingdom.  The  law  that  binds 
individual  saints  into  local  churches  binds  those  churches 
into  normal  associations  for  fellowship  and  cooperative 
labors.  This  law  is  the  gravitation  which  makes  the  king- 
dom one  and  its  manifestations  one.  Hence  the  communion 
of  saints,  though  obstructed,  can  not  be  wholly  prevented 
since  it  is  the  visible  expression  of  the  fundamental  law  of 
the  invisible  kingdom  of  heaven.  That  this  communion 
might  become  ecumenical,  with  neither  family,  nor  national, 
nor  race  limitations,  the  kingdom  at  the  start  seized  upon  the 
synagogue  or  club  form  of  organization  and  worship,  which 
gathers  the  believers  of  one  place  together  into  a  church  and 
joins  all  churches  together  in  fellowship.  Thus  there  are  many 
churches,  but  one  comprehensive  manifestation.  We  must 
broaden  our  conception  of  local  churches  into  an  ecumenical 
comprehension  if  we  would  attain  an  adequate  idea  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  in  manifestation. 

Through  changes  in  the  lives  of  individuals  making  them 


ORIGIN  OF  CHURCH  POLITIES.  39 

holy,  through  local  churches  as  the  channel  of  the  Sph-it's 
working,  and  through  associations  of  churches,  human  society 
will  be  wholly  leavened,  and  the  world  will  be  led  to  believe 
in  an  atoning  Saviour  (John  17  :  21). 

But  in  this  manifestation  of  the  kingdom  we  must  not  for 
a  moment  forget  that  the  local  church  is  the  great  factor.  It 
is  the  nurturing  home  into  which  believers  are  spiritually 
born.  It  is  the  integer  of  wider  fellowship.  It  is  in  and 
through  local  churches  that  the  kingdom  becomes  the  light  of 
the  world  and  the  salt  of  the  earth.  They  are  the  worshiping 
and  working  forces.  In  them  life  is  nurtured  and  from  them 
evangelization  flows.  Through  them  chiefly  the  kingdom 
manifests  its  power  of  redeeming  the  world.  Whatever  holy 
living  there  may  be  in  individual  Christians,  and  whatever 
the  method  of  exhibiting  the  union  of  the  local  congregations, 
the  world  sees  practically  and  chiefly  the  worship  and  labors 
of  local  churches.  By  and  in  these  churches  the  kingdom 
comes  into  conflict  with  the  powers  of  darkness.  Little  is 
done  through  other  instrumentalities.  Hence  we  repeat  that 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  chiefly  manifests  itself  in  the  world 
in  and  through  local  churches. 

§  44.  This  manifestation  of  the  kingdom  brings  us  to  the 
origin  of  church  polities.  Here,  in  the  necessity  of  unity 
between  church  and  church,  lies  the  parting  of  the  ways. 
Here,  in  the  communion  of  saints  beyond  the  bounds  of  local 
congregations,  emerge  the  various  theories  of  the  Church 
which  are  embodied  in  the  great  ecclesiastical  communions. 
Here,  one  road  leads  to  Rome,  another  to  Constantinople, 
another  to  Geneva,  and  another  to  Plymouth ;  and  all 
Christians  must  walk  in  one  of  these  ways.  If  each  local 
church  were  wholly  independent  in  matters  of  authority  and 
of  fellowship,  that  is,  an  absolutely  independent  integer,  no 
polity  need  emerge.  If  any  polity  should  arise,  it  would  be 
abnormal,  unnatural,  man-made.  But  since  all  churches  are 
united  in  one  kingdom  of  heaven,  they  stand  to  one  another, 
not  as  absolutely  independent  integers,  but  as  factors  in  a 


40  THE   CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

common  whole,  towns  in  a  united  realm.  If  we  add  to- 
gether, not  only  all  the  individual  Christians,  but  also  all  the 
local  churches,  we  do  not  obtain  the  kingdom  of  heaven  in 
manifestation.  The  kingdom  itself  is  a  unit,  and  not  a  col- 
lection of  units ;  an  integer,  and  not  a  collection  of  integers. 
And  the  normal  manifestation  of  that  kingdom  must  disclose 
its  oneness.  "  In  conceiving  the  Church  as  in  one  sense 
single,  in  another  plural,  the  thought  of  the  New  Testament 
writers  does  not  begin  with  plurality  and  pass  thence  to  unity 
by  abstraction  and  generalization,  but  moves  from  unity 
of  essence  to  plurality  of  concrete  manifestation.  Unity  is 
first  and  highest."  ^^ 

It  is  the  fact  that  at  bottom  all  Christian  churches  are  one, 
which  compels  their  combination  under  some  theory  or 
doctrine  of  the  Church.  Whatever  independence  one  local 
church  or  communion  of  churches  may  have,  that  independ- 
ence must  be  subordinate  to  the  essential,  underlying  one- 
ness of  all.  This  oneness  compels  the  unity  of  external 
manifestation  which  all  polities  seek  to  express.  There  is  an 
earnest,  pervading,  prevailing,  irrepressible  desire  of  believers, 
begotten  of  the  Spirit,  to  manifest  in  organic,  visible  form 
the  unity  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  which  will  sometime 
find  adequate,  normal,  and  ecumenical  exjiression.  Tlie 
attempts  to  realize  it  have  given  rise  to  the  following  theories 
or  doctrines  of  the  Christian  Church,  namely :  — 

(1)  Fellowship  and  unity  on  the  principle  of  infallible 
primacy,  which  emerges  in  the  Papacy. 

(2)  Fellowship  and  unity  on  the  principle  of  apostolic  suc- 
cession, which  emerges  in  Episcopacy. 

(3)  Fellowship  and  unity  on  the  principle  of  authoritative 
representation,  which  emerges  in  Presbyterianism. 

(4)  Fellowship  and  unity  on  the  principle  of  church  in- 
dependency, which  emerges  in  Congregationalism. 

We  see  that  fellowship  is  the  common  factor  and  unity 
the  common  end  of  these  four  theories  ;  but  the  end  is  sought 

11  Prof.  E.  B.  Andrews,  40  Bib.  Sac.  55,  56. 


THE  FOUR  POLITIES.  41 

to  be  reached  on  the  common  factor  by  a  different  principle 
in  each.  These  theories  are  actual,  and  respectively  dom- 
inate large  communions.  Singly  or  combined  they  constitute 
all  the  polities  that  divide  Christendom.  Each  will  be  con- 
sidered hereafter  with  less  or  more  fullness. 

§  45.  While  we  sliall  endeavor  to  show  which  one  of  the 
four  is  Scriptural  and  normal,  we  wish  at  the  outset  to  pro- 
test against  ascribing  to  any  polity  that  has  dominated  large 
bodies  of  churches  a  superficial  origin.  Our  discussion  will 
prove  that  church  polities  penetrate  to  lines  so  narrow, 
and  principles  so  subtile,  that  learned  and  good  men  have 
been  led  to  adopt  and  defend  each  one  of  the  theories 
above  given.  These  theories  did  not  take  their  origin 
in  ambition,  priestcraft,  or  corruption ;  no,  not  one  of 
them.  Their  primary  causes  lie  deeper,  in  things  more 
honorable  alike  to  human  nature  and  the  grace  of  God. 
Ambition,  priestcraft,  corruption,  may  have  been  the  rich  soil 
nurturing  wrong  conceptions  of  the  nature  of  the  Christian 
Church ;  but  the  seed  and  root  of  the  gigantic  outgrowths 
which  have  divided  Christendom  were  something  better  than 
human  dejDravity.  Nor  is  it  altogether  bigotry  that  builds  so 
many  churches  of  different  orders  in  small  towns,  but 
loyalty,  often  at  great  costs,  to  ecclesiastical  belief.  The 
waste  in  money  and  labor  is  deplorable,  but  the  devotion 
that  gives  both  money  and  labor  is  admirable.  Let  us  not 
accuse  those  falsely  who  long  to  have  their  community  one 
flock  in  faith  and  worship,  but  whose  adhesion  to  principle  — 
as  they  view  it — divides  that  community  into  separate 
churches.  We  may  deplore,  as  we  should,  the  conflict  of 
theories,  but  we  can  not  but  regard  loyalty  to  convictions  a 
priceless  element  of  character.  We  shall  not,  therefore,  try 
any  one's  patience  b}^  cataloguing  corruptions.  Instead,  we 
will  endeavor  to  set  forth  the  normal  relation  of  church  to 
church  in  the  indivisible  kingdom  of  heaven. 


LECTURE   III. 

THE   ROIMAN    CATHOLIC     AND    THE    EPISCOPAL    THEOKY   OF 
THE   CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

"  Tliat  they  may  all  he  one  .  .  .  that  the  world  may  believe  that  thou  didst 
send  jjie."  —  Jesus  Christ. 

"  But  he  not  ye  called  Bahhi :  for  one  is  your  teacher,  and  all  ye  are  breth- 
ren. And  call  no  man  your  father  on  the  earth  [pope  meaus  father]  :  for  one 
is  your  Father,  xohich  is  in  heaven.  Neither  he  ye  called  masters  :  for  one  is 
your  master,  even  the  Christ."  —  .Jesus  Christ. 

In  fulfillment  of  the  prayer  :  "  Thy  kingdom  come,"  and 
in  obedience  to  the  command :  "  Make  disciples  of  all  the 
nations,"  the  apostles  and  primitive  Christians  entered  upon 
their  mission.  And  such  was  their  activity  and  success  that 
they  soon  compassed  the  known  world.  For  Paul  wrote,  in 
A.D.  62,  that  the  gospel  had  been  preached  "  in  all  the  world," 
"in  all  creation  under  heaven  "  (Col.  1 :  6,  23).  Wherever 
they  preached,  with  rare  exceptions,  churches  were  gathered 
of  Jewish  and  Gentile  believers.  In  consequence  of  the 
unity  of  the  kingdom,  of  which  they  were  visible  manifesta- 
tions, these  churches  stood  in  the  closest  possible  relation  to 
one  another.  Life  was  clothing  itself  with  organic  form. 
And  from  the  fundamental  law  of  fellowship,  the  communion 
of  saints  was  emerging  in  some  form  of  polity. 

§  46.  There  soon  appeared,  therefore,  a  change  in  thought 
and  language  corresponding  with  the  change  of  the  invisible 
kingdom  into  visible  churches.  The  Christ  had  spoken  of 
his  kingdom  as  near  at  hand,  the  apostles  saw  it  in  mani- 
festation. It  was  natural  that  in  thought  and  language  the 
idea  of  the  kingdom  should  recede  into  the  background 
while  the  idea  of  its  manifestation  in  churches  should  fill  the 
foreground.  And  such  was  indeed  the  fact.  Christ  used 
the  phrase  kingdom  of  heaven,  or  its  equivalent,  as  recorded 
by  Matthew,  thirty-six  times ;  but  he  used  the  word  church 


KINGDOM  BECOMING   CHURCHES.  43 

in  only  two  passages  (Matt.  16  :  18  ;  18  :  17).  On  the  con- 
trary, his  apostles  used  the  phrase  "  kingdom  of  heaven,"'  or 
its  equi-valent,  in  the  Acts  and  Epistles,  thirty-one  times, 
and  the  word  "church"  one  hundred  and  twelve  times. 
The  kingdom  was  becoming  visible  in  organic  form,  and 
men  spoke  of  the  kingdom  less  and  less,  but  of  the  churches 
more  and  more.  This  change  has  been  recognized  by 
modern  theologians.  "An  explanation  of  it  has  been 
sought  in  two  different  and  indeed  opposite  ways,  some  re- 
garding it  as  an  indication  of  advance  in  the  conception  of 
Christian  truth,  and  others  again  seeing  in  it  a  proof  that  the 
apostles  did  not  fully  apprehend  or  retain  the  great  ideas  of 
the  Master."  ^  It  seems  more  rational  to  regard  the  change 
in  thought  and  expression  as  due  to  the  natural  and  inevita- 
ble development  of  the  invisible  kingdom  into  concrete 
organic  manifestations  of  that  kingdom,  the  churches,  in  its 
coming  among  men. 

§  47.  These  organic  manifestations  called  churches  hold 
some  relation  to  the  kingdom  out  of  which  they  grow,  not  in 
virtue  of  their  planting  by  the  apostles,  nor  of  their  common 
faith  and  worship,  but  in  virtue  of  their  being  churches  of 
Christ.  This  relation  dominates  their  faith  and  worship 
and  makes  them  one  while  many.  The  human  mind  is  so 
constituted  that  it  will  express  the  relation  existing  between 
the  kingdom  and  its  organic  manifestation,  and  consequently 
between  church  and  church,  in  some  tangible  form  or  M^ork- 
ing  system  ;  and  that  form  or  system  constitutes  a  theory  or 
doctrine  of  the  Christian  Church,  whether  true  or  false. 
Four  such  theories  have  divided  Christendom  and  demand 
attention.  For  it  is  manifest  that  there  can  be  but  one 
normal  or  true  development  of  the  kingdom  into  organic 
manifestation.  Whatever  theories  of  the  universe  science  in 
its  infirmity  may  from  time  to  time  present,  no  one  is  so 
foolish  as  to  imagine  that  God  has  constructed  the  universe 
on  a  plurality  of  conflicting  plans.     He  has  built  it  on  one 

1  The  Kingdom  of  God,  by  Prof.  Candlish,  D.D.,  ISO. 


44  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

sublime  plan,  and  all  the  theories  of  science  are  tentative 
efforts  to  comprehend  and  state  that  plan.  We  hold  the 
same  to  be  true  of  God's  sublimer  scheme  of  grace  in  its 
organic  manifestation.  Rising  from  the  inferior  and  pre- 
paratorj'  to  its  perfected  and  permanent  dispensation,  each 
stage  had  one  divine  model  and  not  many  models.  In  this 
the  Christian  is  not  inferior  to  the  patriarchal  and  the  cere- 
monial dispensations.  It  has  one  normal  manifestation.  If 
it  were  possible  to  deduce  from  the  Federal  Constitution 
several  distinct  and  incompatible  forms  of  civil  government, 
what  could  be  said  of  the  wisdom  of  its  framers  or  of  the 
stability  of  this  Republic  ?  To  suppose  that  Christ  or  his 
apostles  put  into  the  New  Testament,  or  framed  into  the 
primitive  churches,  several  conflicting  doctrines  of  the 
Christian  Church,  is  to  impeach  their  wisdom  and  inspira- 
tion. If  they  did  it,  they  had  not  common  wisdom.  How- 
ever fruitless  human  efforts  have  hitherto  been  in  finding 
and  stating  the  divine  doctrine  of  the  Christian  Church,  we 
must  believe  in  such  a  doctrine,  or  surrender  our  belief  in 
the  inspiration  of  the  founders  of  that  Church.  The  true 
doctrine  must  be  in  the  New  Testament,  if  these  writings 
were  given  by  inspiration,  as  the  true  doctrine  of  the 
material  universe  must  be  in  nature;  but  in  either  case 
it  may  be  hidden  for  wise  purposes.  Nowhere  is  unity 
exj^ressed  b}"  plurality,  whatever  incidental  varieties  may 
appear.  This  is  so  self-evident  that  the  advocates  of  every 
theory  of  the  Christian  Church  instinctively  feel  it.  They 
can  not  be  made  to  believe  that  Christ  ordained  a  fourfold 
polity  as  the  normal  development .  of  his  one  kingdom. 
And  they  take  a  still  more  superficial  view  who  afiirm  that 
Cluist  ordained  no  principles  of  church  government  for  a 
kingdom  which  is  to  subdue  all  nations.  The  kingdom  is 
one  fellowslnp,  and  fellowship  involves  polity,  and  that 
polity  must  Ije  one  like  the  kingdom.  This  is  not  saying 
that  other  polities  must  be  in  all  respects  wrong,  that  there 
can    be    nothing    good    in    them,    but    that    they    are    in 


0\LY  OXE    TRUE   THEORY.  45 

some  one  or  more  essential  respects  wrong.  Nor  is  it 
saying  that  a  detailed  system  has  been  revealed,  but  only 
that  the  essential  elements  of  the  normal  polity  have  been 
given.  The  want  of  some  detailed  book  of  discipline  in  the 
New  Testament  is  no  proof  whatever  that  the  principles  of 
a  consistent,  complete,  and  normal  polity  are  not  found 
therein.  Because  God  has  not  written  his  plan  of  the  uni- 
verse in  distinct  characters,  science  is  not  justified  in  denying 
any  plan,  but  is  instead  stimulated  to  ascertain  the  hidden 
plan.  The  numerous  theories  which  have  been  held  and 
then  rejected  are  the  scaffolding  needed  in  the  buildino-  of 
the  true  edifice.  It  is  so  in  church  polity.  The  polity  has 
not  been  revealed  in  detail ;  but  it  exists  in  the  mind  of 
Christ ;  it  has  been  revealed  in  principle  ;  and  the  theories 
which  have  sprung  up  and  become  embodied  in  great 
ecclesiastical  systems  are  efforts  to  express  in  organic  form 
those  principles.  That  erroneous  theories  should  have 
arisen  in  ecclesiology,  as  in  science,  is  not  surprising.  That 
unity  of  view  and  expression  will  some  time  be  reached  in 
both  ecclesiology  and  science  is  certain.  That  men  have  clung 
tenaciously  to  their  theories,  believing  them  to  be  true,  is 
no  more  surprising  in  polity  than  in  science.  A  man  can  not 
do  otherwise  without  impeaching  his  own  faith.  The  more 
logical  and  conscientious  a  man  is,  when  possessed  of  a  theory 
of  any  sort,  the  less  can  he  countenance  opposing  theories. 
Nor  is  this  bigotry ;  it  is  logic. 

§  48.  We  turn  then  to  the  four  great  theories  of  the 
Christian  Church  which  divide  Christendom,  to  ascertain,  if 
possible,  what  is  true  in  them,  and  which  one  comes  nearest 
to  the  divine  model.  They  are  properly  named  the  Papal, 
the  Episcopal,  the  Presbyterial,  and  the  Congregational 
theory.  We  shall  reduce  each  one  to  its  simple  constitutive 
principle,  and  then  give  the  development  of  that  principle 
into  a  complete  and  ecumenical  system.  And  we  mean  by 
constitutive  principle  of  any  polity,  that  principle  which 
gives  it  individuality,  distinguishes  it  from  all  other  polities, 


46  THE  CHURCH-  KINaDOM. 

pervades  all  its  institutions,  and  gives  the  answer  to  every 
query  regarding  the  peculiar  constitution  outward  and 
inward  of  that  polity.  This  is  substantially  the  definition 
given  by  Cardinal  Wiseman.  It  will  simplify  matters  very 
much  to  find  in  each  theory  of  the  Church  the  one  principle 
that  controls  and  so  constitutes  it  what  it  is,  and  gives  life 
to  it ;  for  that  one  principle  seeks  to  give  to  the  visible 
churches  the  unity  of  the  invisible  kingdom  of  heaven  out  of 
which  they  spring.  Each  principle  develops  into  a  system 
elaborate  and  minute  and  peculiar.  Some  of  the  systems 
have  been  perversions  from  others,  settling  at  last  each 
around  its  constitutive  principle,  while  others  arose  from  a 
clear  perception  of  their  constitutive  principles.  In  the 
formei"  case,  foreign  elements  may  have  been  borne  along 
for  centuries,  until  gradually  eliminated.  But  in  each  polity 
the  drift  has  been  more  and  more  to  crystallize  about  its  con- 
stitutive principle,  until  that  principle  dominates  all  parts. 
We  shall  seek  accuracy  in  brevity  of  presentation. 

I.  —  THE   PAPAL   THEORY    OF    THE    CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

§  49.  This  theory  has  developed  a  church  establishment 
imposing  in  its  nature  and  extent.  Macaulay,  writing  in 
1840,  before  the  tlieory  had  flowered  in  the  dogma  of  the 
immaculate  conception  (1854),  and  fruited  in  the  dogma  of 
jDapal  infallibility  (1870),  said  :  "  There  is  not,  and  there 
never  was,  on  this  earth,  a  work  of  human  policy  so  well  de- 
serving of  examination  as  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  .  .  . 
She  saw  the  commencement  of  all  the  governments,  and  of  all 
the  ecclesiastical  establishments,  that  now  exist  in  the  world  ; 
and  we  feel  no  assurance  that  she  is  not  destined  to  see  the 
end  of  them  all.  .  .  .  And  she  may  still  exist  in  undimin- 
ished vigor  when  some  traveler  from  New  Zealand  shall,  in 
the  midst  of  a  vast  solitude,  take  his  stand  on  a  broken  arch 
of  London  Bridge  to  sketch  the  ruins  of  St.  Paul's."'  ^  This 
is  not  quite  as  truthful  as  it  is  beautiful,  though  no  one  can 

2  Review  of  Ranke's  Hist,  of  the  Popes. 


PAPAL    THEORY.  47 

question  the  accuracy  of  the  impression  intended  to  be 
produced.  The  brilliant  essayist  forgot  the  patriarchal 
despotism  of  China,  that  such  as  the  government  was  in  the 
time  of  Confucius  and  his  predecessors,  so  it  is,  essentially, 
at  the  present  day.-^  He  overlooked  also  the  Eastern,  or  Or- 
thodox Greek  Church,  out  of  the  bosom  of  which  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  was  born,  "  both  the  source  and  the  back- 
ground of  the  Western."  ^  The  Pai)al  Church  did  not  there- 
fore see  the  commencement  of  all  the  governments,  and  of 
all  the  ecclesiastical  establishments,  that  now  exist  in  the 
world,  and  we  shall  show  why  it  will  not  see  their  end. 
Imposing  and  grand  as  it  is,  its  completeness  in  papal 
infallibility  bears  in  it  the  doom  of  death. 

§  50.  The  origin  of  the  Papal  system  is  not  in  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  primitive  churches.  "  This  volume  further  dem- 
onstrates," says  Bishop  A.  Cleveland  Coxe,  "what  I  have 
so  often  touched  upon  —  the  historic  fact  that  primitive 
Christianity  was  Greek  in  form  and  character,  Greek  from 
first  to  last,  Greek  in  all  its  forms  of  dogma,  worship,  and 
^polity."  And  he  refers  to  Dean  Stanley  as  inviting  "us  to 
reform  the  entire  scheme  of  our  ecclesiastical  history  by  pre- 
senting the  Eastern  apostolic  churches  as  the  main  stem  of 
Christendom,  of  which  the  Church  of  Rome  itself  was  for 
three  hundred  years  a  mere  colony,  unfelt  in  theology  except 
by  contributions  to  the  Greek  literature  of  Christians,  and 
wholly  unconscious  of  those  pretensions  with  which  .  .  . 
the  fabulous  decretals  afterwards  invested  a  succession  of 
primitive  bishops  in  Rome,  wholly  innocent  of  any  thing  of 
the  kind."  ^ 

(1)  There  arose  among  the  primitive  churches  a  confusion 
of  thought  over  the  nature  of  the  Christian  Church.  The 
outward  manifestation  in  local  churches  with  their  ministry 
began  to  be  identified  with  the  invisible  kingdom,  a  con- 
fusion which  we  have  seen  (§5)  still  exists,  dividing  Chris- 

3  5  Ency.  Brit.  G6S.  *  11  Ency.  Brit.  154. 

Introd.  Notice  to  Am.  Ed.  Ante-Nicene  Fathers,  vol.  vi,  pp.  v,  vi. 


48  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

tendom  into  two  great  sections.  This  confusion  is  both  the 
source  and  the  support  of  the  Papal  Theory  of  the  Church. 
Ignatius  (a.d.  30-107)  wrote :  "  If  any  man  follow  him  who 
makes  a  schism  in  the  Church,  he  shall  not  inherit  the  king- 
dom of  God."''  Irenseus  (a.d.  120-202)  confused  the 
kingdom  and  the  visible  Church  in  the  famous  passage :  "  'For 
in  the  Church,'  it  is  said,  '  God  hath  set  apostles,  prophets, 
teachers,'  and  all  the  other  means  through  which  the  Spirit 
works ;  of  which  all  those  are  not  partakers  who  do  not  join 
themselves  to  the  Church,  but  defraud  themselves  of  life 
through  their  perverse  opinions  and  infamous  behavior. 
For  where  the  Church  is,  there  is  the  Spirit  of  God; 
and  where  the  Spirit  of  God  is,  there  is  the  Church." ''  Here 
the  Church  is  the  visible  body  with  its  officers,  and  it  is  made 
identical  with  the  invisible  Church  or  kingdom  of  heaven. 
He  makes  true  of  the  former  what  is  true  only  of  the  latter. ' 
Both  these  quotations  imply  that  there  is  no  salvation  outside 
the  visible  Church.  But  this  identity  between  the  visible 
and  the  invisible  Church  more  largely  dominates  the  thought 
of  Cyprian  (a.d.  200-258),  who  may  be  called  the  father  of  ^ 
the  Roman  Catholic  system.  He  cries  out :  "  How  can  he  be 
with  Christ  who  is  not  with  the  spouse  of  Christ,  and  in  his 
Church  ?  "  ^  "  Whoever  he  may  be,  and  whatever  he  may  be, 
he  who  is  not  in  the  Church  of  Christ  is  not  a  Christian."  ^ 
"  For  it  has  been  delivered  to  us  that  there  is  one  God,  and  one 
Christ,  and  one  hope,  and  one  faith,  and  one  Church,  and  one 
baptism  ordained  only  in  the  one  Church,  from  which  unity 
whosoever  will  depart  must  needs  be  found  with  heretics.  .  .  . 
Moreover,  Peter  himself,  showing  and  vindicating  the  unity, 
has  commanded  and  warned  us  that  we  cannot  be  saved, 
except  by  the  one  only  baptism  of  one  Church."  ^^  Thus  the 
implication  of  Ignatius  and  Irenteus  became  hardened  into 
the  dogma  of  Cyprian :  "  Out  of  the  Church  there  is  no 
salvation."      And   this  in    due    time   came  to  mean    in  the 

6  Phil.  ili.  7  Ad.  Har.  book  iii,  ch.  xxiv. 

8  Ep.  xlviii,  1.  "  Ep.  li,  24.  '"  Ep.  Ixxiii,  11. 


PAPAL    THEORY.  49 

Occident:  "Out  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Clmrcli  there  is  no 
salvation." 

(2)  This  confusion  of  thought  was  born  of  the  ceremonial 
dispensation,  in  which  the  civil  and  the  spiritual  realms  were, 
in  the  minds  of  the  ordinary  Jew,  conterminous  and  identical.' 
It  was  natural,  therefore,  for  the  Jewish  Cliristians  to  over- 
look the  lines  of  distinction  between  the  kingdom  and  its 
manifestation,  which  Christ  and  his  apostles  had  drawn. 
The  apostles  did  not  get  rid  of  similar  notions  under  the 
teaching  of  the  Master  until  the  illumination  of  Pentecost. 
Their  successors  did  not  liave  the  same  degree  of  illumina- 
tion, and  hence  as  we  recede  from  the  days  of  the  apostles 
the  lines  between  the  visible  and  the  invisible  Church  become 
dimmer  until  they  disappear.  So,  too,  the  order  of  Jewish 
priests,  with  dress  and  ceremonies  and  sacrifices,  would  in 
time  be  brought  over. 

(3)  If  this  confusion  in  thought  could  have  been  removed, 
and  the  distinction  drawn  by  the  apostles  and  their  Master 
retained,  the  Papal  Theory  of  the  Church  would  not  have 
been  born.  "  Such  a  distinction  might  have  led,"  says  Mean- 
der, "  to  an  agreement  between  Augustine  and  the  Donatists. 
Augustine  endeavored  to  establish  the  distinction,  but  he 
was  afraid  to  follow  out  the  idea  to  the  full  extent,  and  his 
notions  became  obscure."  ^^  Had  this  greatest  of  uninspired 
theologians  been  bolder  as  a  reformer,  he  by  clearness  of 
thought  might  have  prevented  the  birth  of  the  Papacy.  He 
faltered  ;  left  the  distinction  in  obscurity  still ;  and  the 
natural  result  followed.  "  The  idea  of  the  Church  had 
become  confounded  with  its  external  manifestation,  and  thus 
the  way  was  prepared  for  all  the  abuses  of  the  Romish  hier- 
archy and  the  development  of  the  Papacy."  '"^  It  was  thus 
left  to  the  reformers  of  tlie  sixteenth  century  to  draw  tlie 
lines  between  the  visible  and  tlie  invisible  Church,  the  organic 
manifestation  and  the  spiritual  kingdom,  so  deej)  and  dis- 
tinct that  they  can  not  again  become  obliterated.     We  say, 

"  Hagenbach's  Hist.  Doct.  1,  354.  12  Ibid,  ii,  71. 


50  THE   CHUECH- KINGDOM. 

again,  because  they  were  before  clearly  drawn  in  the  teach- 
ings of  the  New  Testament.  But  while  the  confusion  lasted 
the  Papal  Theory  grew  almost  to  its  completeness. 

(4)  We  greatly  err  if  we  fancy  that  this  distinction  be- 
tween the  visible  and  the  invisible  Church  is  of  no  practical 
present  use.  It  is  of  the  utmost  value  in  evangelizing  the 
world,  as  in  determining  the  form  of  the  Church.  Hagen- 
bach  states  it  exactly  when  he  says :  "  In  the  view  of  the 
Romanist,  individuals  come  to  Christ  through  the  Churcli ; 
in  the  view  of  Protestants,  they  come  to  the  Church  through 
Christ."  ^'^  The  question  confronts  each  minister  and  mis- 
sionary: Shall  I  labor  to  bring  sinners  to  Christ  through 
the  door  of  the  Church,  or  shall  I  bring  them  to  the 
Church  through  Christ  the  door  ? 

By  the  Roman  Theory  a  horde  of  savages  is  brought  to 
Christ  by  the  church  sacraments  ;  by  the  Protestant  Theory, 
sinners  are  brought  to  the  sacraments  by  conversion  to  Christ 
in  faith  and  j^enitence.  Make  the  visible  and  the  invisible 
Church  one  and  identical,  and  you  make  therein  baptism  and 
regeneration  identical  —  baptismal  regeneration  is  the  out- 
come. Baptism  thus  becomes  necessary  unto  salvation. 
But  draw  the  line  where  the  Scriptures  do,  between  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  and  its  organic  manifestation  in  churches, 
and  you  ascribe  salvation,  not  unto  the  Church,  but  unto 
Christ ;  not  to  the  sacraments,  but  to  renentance  and  faith. 
We  see  how  closely  together  the  widest  theories  and  practices 
lie  in  their  origin.  We  see  also  that  nothing  touches  purity 
in  faith  and  practice  with  a  more  controlling  hand  than 
theories  of  the  nature  of  the  Christian  Church. 

(5)  In  seeking  the  origin  of  the  Papal  Theor}-  we  must 
add  to  this  confusion  of  thought  and  consequent  identifica- 
tion of  the  manifestation  of  the  kingdom  with  the  kingdom 
itself,  tills  further  element,  the  elevation  of  the  chief  spokes- 
man of  the  apostles  to  the  position  of  primate  among  them, 
and  consequently  the  making  of  his  so-called  successors  pri- 
mates in  the  whole  Church.     Of  this  we  speak  hereafter. 

>3  Hagenbach's  Hist.  Doct.  ii,  290. 


PAPAL    THEOEY.  51 

(6)  To  these  two  elements  must  also  be  added  an  envi- 
ronment adverse  to  the  primitive  polity.  The  great  Roman 
Empire  had  dazed  men  with  its  glory.  Cliurch  officers  were 
drawn  by  the  unnoticed  drift  of  their  surroundings  into 
hierarchical  claims.  The  conversion  of  the  emperor,  and 
the  union  of  Church  and  State,  carried  at  a  l)ound  the  perse- 
cuted Church  into  power.  The  consequent  fearful  ingress  of 
heathen  multitudes,  with  their  heathen  customs,  into  the 
Church,  corrupted  it,  and  Rome,  the  capital  of  the  known 
world,  aspired  to  a  greater  ecclesiastical  empire.  These  con- 
stituted an  environment  in  which  the  germs  of  the  Papal 
Theory  took  root  and  growth  ;  but  of  which  we  can  not  speak 
more  particularly. 

§  51.  The  Papal  Theory  is,  that  "  the  Holy  Catholic 
Apostolic  Roman  Church  is  the  mother  and  mistress  of  all 
churches;"^'*  that  it  is  the  only  true  Church  of  Christ;  that 
"  the  Church  has  the  power  of  defining  dogmatically  that  the 
religion  of  the  Catholic  Church  is  the  only  true  religion  ; "  ^^ 
that  ''  the  primacy  of  jurisdiction  over  the  universal  Church 
of  God  was  immediately  and  directly  promised  and  given  to 
blessed  Peter,  the  apostle  of  Christ  the  Lord  ; "  that  the 
same  primacy  "must,  by  the  same  institution,  necessarily 
remain  unceasingly  in  the  church,"  and  "  in  his  successors, 
the  Bishops  of  the  Holy  See  of  Rome.  .  .  .  Whence  whoso- 
ever succeeds  to  Peter  in  this  See  does  by  the  institution  of 
Christ  himself  obtain  the  primacy  of  Peter  over  the  whole 
Church  ;  "  and  that  "  the  Roman  Pontiff,  when  he  speaks  ex 
cathedrd,  that  is,  when  in  discharge  of  the  office  of  pastor  and 
doctor  of  all  Christians,  by  virtue  of  his  supreme  apostolic 
authority,  he  defines  a  doctrine  regarding  faith  or  morals,  to 
be  held  by  the  universal  Church,  by  the  divine  assistance 
promised  to  him  in  blessed  Peter,  is  possessed  of  that  infalli- 
bility with  which  the  divine  Redeemer  willed  that  his  Church 
should  be  endowed  for  defining  doctrine  regarding  faith  or 
morals ;  and  that,  therefore,  such  definitions  of  the  Roman 

»  Tritlentine  Faith.  '  •  Papal  Syllabus  of  Errors  (1864),  -21. 


52  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

Pontiff  are  irreformable  of  themselves,  and  not  from  the  con- 
sent of  the  Church."  "  But  if  any  one  —  which  may  God 
avert  —  presume  to  contradict  this  our  definition  :  let  him  be 
anathema."  ^^  .  More  briefly  :  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  is 
the  community  of  the  faithful  united  to  their  lawful  pastors, 
in  communion  with  the  See  of  Rome,  the  infallible  Pope,  the 
successor  of  St.  Peter,  and  vicar  of  Christ  on  earth. 

§  52.  The  constitutive  principle  of  this  theory  is  the  in- 
fallible primacy  of  the  Pope.  Before  the  theory  had  devel- 
oped into  papal  infallibility.  Cardinal  Wiseman  thus  defined 
the  constitutive  principle  :  '■'  The  doctrine  and  belief  that 
God  has  promised,  and  consequently  bestows  upon  it  [the 
Church],  a  constant  and  perpetual  protection,  to  the  extent 
of  guaranteeing  it  from  destruction,  from  error,  and  fatal  cor- 
ruption. This  principle  once  admitted,  every  thing  else  fol- 
lows." ^'  This  principle  did  not,  however,  distinguish,  even 
then,  between  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  and  the  Orthodox 
Greek  Church ;  for  the  latter  holds  that  "  the  bishops  united 
in  a  General  Council  represent  the  Church,  and  infallibly 
decide,  under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  all  matters  of 
faith  and  ecclesiastical  life."  ^^  Infallibility,  or  rather  the 
claim  of  it,  does  not,  therefore,  alone  distinguish  the  Roman 
Church  from  all  others.  If,  therefore,  infallibility  be 
admitted,  every  thing  else  does  not   follow. 

(1)  Primacy  would  seem  to  distinguish  the  Roman  Church, 
but  it  has  not  dominated  the  whole  development  of  that 
Church.  If  we  join  the  two  terms  —  infallibility  and  primacy 
—  we  cover  perhaps  the  whole  normal  development  until  the 
final  consummation  of  the  theory.  This  gives  infallible  pri- 
macy as  the  constitutive  principle  of  the  Papal  Theory  of  the 
Church.  It  is  nothing  against  the  accuracy  of  our  position 
that  this  principle  did  not  emerge  into  full  recognition  until 
A.D.  1870 ;  for  we  do  not  know  fully  a  plant  or  a  tree  until  it 
has  blossomed  and  borne  ripened  fruit.  The  Papal  Theory 
did  not  mature  until  the  Vatican  Council. 

'«  Vatican  Decrees,  on  Church,  chap,  i,  ii,  iv. 

"  Quoleil  in  Romanism  as  It  Is,  107.  "  11  Ency.  Brit.  159. 


PAPAL    THEORY.  53 

(2)  Before  that  council  settled  it,  the  infallibility  claimed 
b}^  the  Romish  Church  was  an  unlocalized  quantity.  It  was 
held  by  one  party  that  it  was  focused  in  general  councils  of 
the  Church.  Another  party  found  it  in  the  decrees  of  such 
councils  when  ratified  and  confirmed  by  the  Pope.  A  more 
recent  and  third  party,  led  b}^  the  Jesuits,  placed  it  in  the 
popes,  speaking  ex  cathedrd.  The  Vatican  Council  was 
called  to  remove  this  confusion,  which  it  did.  For  by  the 
decree  of  this  general  council,  confirmed  by  the  Pope,  the 
perpetual  seat  of  infallibility  was  infallibly  located  in  the  See 
of  Rome.  Hence  the  popes,  from  Peter  to  the  present  in- 
cumbent, have  been  infallible  in  their  official  though  contra- 
dictory utterances.  No  one  in  the  three  parties  could  reject 
this  Vatican  dogma  of  infallibility,  however  much  he  opposed 
the  passage  of  it ;  for  the  infallible  organ  of  the  Church,  in 
the  belief  of  each  party,  infallibly  decreed  the  said  dogma. 
Whatever  the  struggles  by  which  the  constitutive  principle 
has  reached  final  recognition,  the  main  currents  of  the  system 
from  the  earliest  claims  of  infallibility  and  primacy  have  been 
towards  this  principle. 

(3)  While  this  principle  is  active  and  authoritative  in  the 
popes,  it  is  passive  and  submissive  in  all  other  prelates  and 
in  the  laity.  For  it  is  the  function  of  the  popes  to  define, 
teach,  and  rule  ;  but  of  the  prelates  and  laity  to  learn,  believe, 
and  ol)ey.  Thus,  what  Christ  is  to  the  kingdom,  his  vicar, 
the  Pope,  is  to  the  Church,  "  setting  himself  forth  as  God  " 
(2  Thess.  2  :  4). 

§  53.  This  constitutive  principle  develops  into  an  inflexi- 
ble and  intolerant  system.  It  requires  the  submission  of 
every  Christian  every-where  to  the  Pope,  as  unto  Christ ; 
indeed,  no  one  can  be  a  true  Christian  who  does  not  submit 
to  the  Pope.  All  private  judgment  in  religion  is  denied, 
since  the  infallible  Pope  must  define  what  is  to  be  believed 
and  what  not ;  and  the  infallilde  can  not  err.  If  any  of  its 
dogmas  appear  strange  and  unscriptural,  the  system  finds  in 
tradition  or  in  decrees  of  councils  and  popes  their  infallible 


54  THE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

justification.  Schism  becomes,  too,  the  greatest  sin,  since  it 
is  apostasy  from  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  There  is  hence  a 
necessity  for  conformity  or  unity  in 'religious  faith  and  eccle- 
siastical ritual.  It  becomes  the  duty  of  the  popes  to  re- 
press by  anathema,  excommunication,  and  sword  all  attempts 
to  broach  new  opinions,  since  the  popes  have  decreed  the  use 
of  such  weapons  against  error,  heresy,  and  schism.  The 
reigning  Pope  has  supreme  power  over  churches  and  minis- 
ters, to  rule  them  in  faith  and  morals ;  to  enact  canons,  rites, 
dogmas  ;  and  to  do  whatever  else  may  be  thought  conducive 
to  the  welfare  of  the  Church  in  ritual,  doctrine,  morals,  poli- 
tics, and  science.  He  has  even  indicted  the  science  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  and  declared  the  separation  of  Church 
and  State  a  heresy,  and  liberty  in  religious  belief  "  the  insan- 
ity." ^^     The  system  is  intolerant  in  the  extreme. 

(1)  In  doctrine  it  has  infallibly  declared  that  baptism  is 
necessary  unto  salvation  ;  that  the  mass  or  eucharist  is  a  real 
but  bloodless  sacrifice  of  Christ,  as  truly  a  propitiatory  offer- 
ing, as  was  his  death  on  the  cross  ;  that  there  is  a  purgatory 
for  the  purifying  after  death  of  imperfect  saints  ;  that  indul- 
gences are  beneficial ;  and  that  the  great  catalogue  of  errors, 
with  which  reason  and  Scripture  and  history  have  successfully 
indicted  this  system,  are  to  be  believed. 

(2)  The  government  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  is 
monarchical,  the  Pope  being  its  supreme  and  infallible  ruler. 
The  people  have  no  vote  or  voice  in  its  management,  in  an}' 
particular.  Below  the  Pope  as  his  executive  council  are  the 
cardinals  appointed  by  himself.  Every  decision  of  this  coun- 
cil is  subject  to  revision  by  the  Pope.  The  full  number  of 
cardinals  is  seventy -two.  There  are  two  sorts  of  bishops, 
bishops  in  ordinary  and  vicars  apostolic.  Their  jurisdiction 
on  every  point  is  clear  and  definite.  They  control  the  infe- 
rior orders  of  clergy.  In  most  Catholic  countries  the  bishops 
have  a  certain  degree  of  civil  jurisdiction.  Below  the  bishops 
in   government   are  chiefly   the   parochial   priests.     Besides 

"Encycl.  13  Aug.  1832;  8  Dec.  1804,  Appleton's  Annual  Cycl.  1864,  702. 


PAPAL    THEORY.  55 

these  there  is  a  considerable  body  of  ecclesiastics,  who  do  not 
enter  directly  into  the  governing  part  of  the  Church,  although 
they  help  to  discharge  some  of  its  most  important  functions. 
The  most  solemn  tribunal  is  a  general  council,  that  is,  an 
assembly  of  all  the  bishops  of  the  Church,  who  may  attend 
either  in  person  or  by  deputy,  under  the  presidency  of  the 
Pope  or  his  legates,  whose  appointment  necessarily  emanates 
from  the  Pope.  All  church  property  is  held  in  trust  and 
controlled  by  the  bishops. 

§  54.  The  proof  of  this  stupendous  system  to  those  who 
accept  it  is  easy:  The  infallible  Church  has  ordained  it. 
But  to  those  who  deny  its  infallibility,  the  proof  is  indeed 
slender.  Here  is  the  Scriptural  argument  as  given  in  the 
order  of  citation  in  the  decree  of  papal  infallibility : 
"  That  they  may  all  be  one  ;  even  as  thou.  Father,  art  in  me 
and  I  in  thee,  that  they  also  may  be  in  us "  (John  17  : 
21).  "Thou  shalt  be  called  Cephas"  (John  1:  42). 
"  Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar-Jonah  :  for  flesh  and  blood 
hath  not  revealed  it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father  which  is  in 
heaven.  And  I  also  say  unto  thee,  that  thou  art  Peter,  and 
upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my  Church ;  and  the  gates  of 
Hades  shall  not  prevail  against  it.  I  will  give  unto  thee  the 
keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  :  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt 
bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven :  and  whatsoever 
thou  shalt  loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven  "  (Matt. 
16 :  16-19).  This  would  indeed  be  a  strong  passage  had 
not  Christ  given  the  same  power  to  all  the  apostles  (John 
20 :  23)  and  to  each  local  church  (Matt.  18 :  18).  What 
was  so  expressly  distributed  by  the  Lord  of  all  can  not  be 
made  applicable  only  to  one.  But  there  is  added:  "Feed 
my  lambs;"  "Feed  my  sheep"  (John  21:  15-17).  "But 
I  made  supplication  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail  not :  and  do 
thou,  when  once  thou  hast  turned  again,  stablish  thy 
brethren  "  (Luke  22  :  32). 

This  is  the  whole  Scriptural  proof  cited  in  the  decree  of 
papal  infallibility.      In  other  connections  several  other  pas- 


56  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

sages  are  quoted  or  referred  to,  but  they  apply  to  the  whole 
apostolate,  and  not  to  Peter  alone.  On  this  slender  Scrip- 
tural basis  the  huge  fabric  rests.  But  what  is  lacking  in 
Scripture  the  system  finds  in  the  coordinate  standards  of 
faith  and  jDractice,  namely,  tradition,  and  decrees  of  councils 
and  popes  (§  87). 

Such  is  the  Papal  Theory  of  the  Christian  Church  in  its 
present  completed  development.  It  is  grand,  imposing,  con- 
sistent, reducible  to  one  constitutive  principle,  and  claiming 
with  logical  daring  to  be  the  one  only  true  Church  of  Christ 
because  identical  with  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  We  can 
hardly  wonder  that  some  Protestants  are  so  awed  by  its 
grandeur  that  they  turn  back  to  Rome. 

§  55.  Yet  on  this  Papal  Theory,  as  it  has  risen  to  com- 
pleteness, it  is  obvious  to  note  several  things :  — 

(1)  The  Papal  Theory  is  a  living  power.  It  is  met  every- 
where, full  of  vigor  and  hope,  with  unbroken  front,  and  until 
recently  confident  of  a  speedy  and  universal  acceptance  or 
conquest.  It  had  great  consistency  and  strength  as  a  system 
even  while  maturing ;  and  now,  while  a  fatal  cleavage  is 
going  on,  separating  the  governing  clergy  from  the  Roman 
Catholic  laity,  its  power  is  tremendous.  It  was  the  laity  of 
Roman  Catholic  Italy  that  stripped  the  Pope  of  his  temporal 
power  the  very  year  in  which  the  clergy  decreed  his  infalli- 
bility. And  all  other  Catholic  countries  acquiesced  in  spite 
of  papal  anathemas. 

(2)  The  Papal  Theory  is  unassailable  by  argument.  The 
infallible  is  above  argumentation.  No  proof  can  reach  it ; 
no  logic  can  harm  it.  For  more  than  three  and  one-half 
centuries  the  theory  has  flourished  and  gained  some  lost 
ground,  under  the  convicting  proofs  which  reason,  history, 
and  the  Bible  hurl  against  it. 

(3)  The  Papal  Theory  is  irreformable.  The  infallible 
can  not,  of  course,  err.  Hence  the  Papacy  can  never  be 
reformed.     This  hope  must  be  abandoned. 

(4)  The  alternative  with  the  Papal  Theory  is  either  vie- 


PAPAL    THEOBY.  57 

tory  or  death.  There  can  be  no  compromise,  no  middle 
ground.  The  Syllabus  of  Errors,  issued  by  Pope  Pius  IX 
in  1864,  is  the  formal  indictment  of  modern  progress  in 
science  and  libert3\  It  denounces,  as  a  principal  error,  that 
"every  man  is  free  to  embrace  and  profess  the  religion  he 
shall  believe  true,  guided  by  the  light  of  reason  "  (Error  15) ; 
that  "  Protestantism  is  nothing  more  than  another  form  of 
the  same  true  Christian  religion,  in  which  it  is  possible  to  be 
equally  pleasing  to  God  as  in  the  Catholic  Church  "  (18)  ; 
that  "  the  Church  has  not  the  power  of  availing  herself  of 
force,  or  any  direct  or  indirect  temporal  power  "  (24)  ;  that 
"national  churches  can  be  established,  after  being  with- 
drawn and  plainly  separated  from  the  authority  of  the 
Roman  Pontiff"  (37);  that  "the  Church  ought  to  be  sepa- 
rated from  the  State,  and  the  State  from  the  Church  "  (55). 
Among  other  errors  infallibly  stigmatized  is  this :  "  The 
abolition  of  the  temporal  power,  of  which  the  Apostolic  See 
is  possessed,  would  contribute  in  the  greatest  degree  to  the 
liberty  and  prosperity  of  the  Church.  .  .  .  N.  B.  Besides 
these  errors,  explicitly  noted,  many  others  are  impliedly 
rebuked  by  the  proposed  and  asserted  doctrine,  which  all 
Catholics  are  bound  most  firmly  to  hold,  touching  the  tem- 
poral sovereignty  of  the  Roman  Pontiff  "  (76).  The  next 
day  after  the  Vatican  Council,  in  1870,  had  declared  the 
Pope  infallible,  which  made  this  syllabus  and  all  it  contains 
infallible,  France  declared  war  against  Germany,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  the  Roman  Pontiff  was  soon  stripped  of 
every  vestige  of  temporal  sovereignty  and  power.  The  King 
of  Italy,  on  entering  the  States  of  the  Church,  proclaimed : 
"  In  the  first  place,  all  political  and  lay  authority  of  the 
Pope  and  Holy  See  in  Italj  is  abolished  and  will  remain 
so."  2''  By  the  decision  of  the  supreme  court  of  Italy  the 
king  has  jurisdiction  within  the  walls  of  the  Vatican,  the 
palace  of  the  Pope.  The  infallible  primate,  the  vicar  of 
Christ,  is  thus  made  subject  to  the  laws  of  Italy .-^     This  is 

20  Appleton's  Cycl.  for  1870,  414.  ='2  Audover  Review,  171. 


58  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

the  reason  the  Pope  keeps  up  the  fiction  of  being  a  prisoner 
in  the  Vatican,  being  deprived  as  he  is  of  his  temporal 
power.  For  unless  he  can  recover  that  temporal  power,  so 
necessary  to  "  the  liberty  and  prosperity  of  the  Church,"  that 
"all  Catholics  are  bound  most  firmly  to  hold  it,"  the  Pope 
will  have  been  proved  by  the  providence  of  God  to  be  a  false 
teacher  the  very  year  tlie  Vatican  Council  declared  him  to  be 
an  infallible  teacher.  It  was  the  stress  of  this  conti-adiction, 
unless  speedily  remedied,  of  which  there  appeared  no  hope, 
that  wrung  from  the  very  Pope  who  called  the  council  to 
decree  his  infallibility  the  despairing  cry :  "  All  is  lost ! " 
To  recover  his  temporal  power,  and  so  to  escape  the  demon- 
stration of  his  fallibility,  which  this  contradiction  involves, 
the  Pope,  as  the  Hon.  William  E.  Gladstone  shows,22  has 
been,  and  still  is,  engaged  in  stirring  up  a  general  European 
war,  that  out  of  the  strife  he  may  emerge  clothed  with  tem- 
poral sovereignty  again.  Necessity  compels  him  thus  to 
feign  imprisonment,  and  to  foment  strife,  until  he  wins  or 
the  Papacy  dies.  We  may  hope  with  confidence  that  the 
cleavage  going  on  between  the  Papacy,  which  is  clerical 
government  wholly,  and  the  Roman  Catholic  population  will 
end  in  the  overthrow  of  the  Papal  Theory,  in  a  conflict 
indeed  of  its  own  making.  With  violence  shall  it  be  cast 
into  the  sea. 

(5)  When  the  Papal  Theory  perishes,  and  not  till  then, 
the  Roman  Catholic  churches  may  be  reformed.  Parts  may 
possibly  again  be  broken  off,  separated  entirely,  and  so  re- 
formed. But  its  adherents  can  not  be  reformed  until  there 
ceases  to  be  a  Papal  Theory  on  the  earth.  For  it  is  the 
Papal  Theory  that  divides  the  Greek  and  Protestant  com- 
munions from  the  Roman  Catholic.  Were  there  no  Pope, 
the  local  churches  in  the  Roman  communion  could  break  into 
provincial  or  national  bodies  and  be  reformed,  as  preparatory 
to  a  more  comprehensive  union.  And,  if  it  be  true,  as  held 
by  some,  "  that  the  order  of  bishops  was  craftily  abolished  by 

--  Vaticanism,  85. 


EPISCOPAL    THEOBY.  59 

tlie  Council  of  Trent  (a.d.  1563),  and  the  theory  of  certain 
schoohnen  was  made  into  dogma,  to  this  effect,  namely,  the 
Pope  is  universal  bishop,  and  possesses  the  whole  episco- 
pate ;  all  other  bishops  are  but  papal  vicars,  that  is,  presbyters, 
only,"  —  then  the  end  of  the  Papacy  is  the  end  of  the  episco- 
pacy in  that  great  communion.  Be  this  as  it  may,  we  have 
no  doubt  that  the  rise  of  this  theory  into  completeness  in 
papal  infallibility  is  the  beginning  of  its  end. 

(6)  If,  however,  the  Papal  Theory  should  prevail  —  which 
it  will  not  —  it  could  easily  become  ecumenical.  It  once 
embraced,  with  the  exception  of  the  .  Greek  Church,  all 
Christendom.  It  has  now  all  the  ecclesiastical  machinery 
and  institutions  needed  to  express  in  itself,  in  visible  form, 
the  unity  of  the  invisible  kingdom  of  heaven. 

II. — THE  EPISCOPAL  THEORY  OF  THE   CHRISTIAN    CHURCH. 

§  56.  The  Episcopal  Theory  is  older  but  less  imposing 
than  the  Papal.  The  church  of  Jerusalem  and  not  the 
church  of  Rome  was  the  mother  church.  •  The  gospel  was 
preached,  beginning  at  Jerusalem.  The  Eastern  or  Greek 
Church  is  the  source  and  background,  as  we  have  shown 
(§§  49,  50),  of  the  Western  or  Roman  Church.  There  can 
be  no  doubt  of  this,  nor  of  the  fact  that  Episcopacy  arose 
before  the  Papacy  in  the  Christian  Church.  That  the  former 
is  less  imposing  than  the  latter  does  not  result  so  much  from 
the  nature  of  the  system  as  from  its  incomplete  development. 
Episcopacy  has  for  some  reason  been  largely  confined  to 
national  boundaries.  It  has  never  called,  in  modern  times, 
a  central  council  having  authority  over,  and  giving  laws 
and  unity  to,  all  the  communities  and  nations  embracing  the 
theory.  Lacking  this  central,  authoritative,  and  unifying 
body,  the  Episcopal  Theory  does  not  impress  the  imagination 
as  profoundly  as  does  the  Papal. 

§  57.  The  origin  of  the  Episcopal  Theory  may  be  quite 
accurately  traced.     In    many,  if  not   all,  of   the    primitive 


60  THE   CHUBCH-  KIXGDOM. 

churches  or  particidar  congregations  there  was  a  presbytery  ; 
that  is,  each  local  church  had  a  plurality  of  elders  or  pres- 
byters. Luke  speaks  of  such  elders  or  bishops  in  local 
churches  (Acts  14  :  23  ;  20  :  17,  28  ;  21  :  18),  and  Paul  calls 
them  a  presbytery  (1  Tim.  4  :  14)  ;  of  which  we  shall  speak 
more  particularly  in  another  Lecture.  Li  this  local  church 
presbytery,  or  board  of  elders,  there  would  naturally  arise  by 
choice,  or  otherwise,  a  presiding  officer,  who  would  receive  in 
time  some  distinguishing  title,  though  only  the  first  among 
equals.  The  name  bishop,  though  originally  and  every- 
where in  the  New  Testament  synonymous  with  presbyter  or 
elder,  —  the  three  words  being  used  interchangeably,  —  at 
length  became  the  title  for  distinguishing  the  presiding  pres- 
byter. Thus,  in  the  genuine  Ignatian  Epistles,  we  read  of 
"being  subject  to  the  bishop  and  the  presbytery ;" ^3  of  a 
"justly  renowned  presbytery,"  being  "fitted  as  exactly  to 
the  bishop  as  the  strings  are  to  the  harp ;  "  ^  of  "  obeying 
the  bishop  and  the  presbytery  with  an  undivided  mind, 
breaking  one  and  the  same  bread  ;  "  ^  of  being  "  subject  to 
the  bishop  as  to'the  grace  of  God,  and  to  the  presbytery  as 
to  the  law  of  Jesus  Christ ;  "  "^  and  of  similar  expressions  in 
ten  other  passages,  showing  how  common  the  distinction  had 
become,  if  indeed  these  expressions  are  not  in  part  or  wholly 
interpolations.  The  bishop  and  presbyter}^  were  in  the  local 
or  particular  church,  the  only  diocese  then  known.  Li  later 
writings  presbyteis  are  also  spoken  of  as  presiding  over  the 
local  churches,^"  while  the  bishop  and  his  presbytery  are 
at  a  still  later  writing  again  conjoined.^^  The  bishops  of  the 
early  churches  were  pastors  of  local  churches. 

Under  the  persecutions  which  every-where  met  the 
preachers  of  Christ,  and  the  want  of  church  edifices  in 
which  to  meet,  the  presbytery  of  each  church,  under  its 
chosen  leader,  called  a  bishop)  in  honor,  not  in  order,  would 
teach  and  feed  the  flock  as  best  they  could,  in  the  homes  or 

23Ep.Eph.il.  "iijij,  iv.  2-5  Ibid.  XX.  =«  Ep.  Mag.  ii. 

2'  Pastor  of  Hernias,  2,  iv.  '^  Apostol.  Const,  book  ii,  xxviii;  Ijook  viii,  iv. 


EPISCOPAL    THEORY.  61 

wherever  they  could  most  safely  or  conveniently  assemble 
the  whole  or  a  part  of  the  church.  The  presbyters  would 
also  labor  in  adjacent  territory,  which  labor  would  require 
some  overseeing,  and  this  would  naturally  fall  to  the  lot  of 
the  bishop  of  the  local  presbytery,  the  primus  inter  pares. 
Vice-Principal  Edwin  Hatch,  in  his  famous  Bampton  Lec- 
tures, says  that  "  the  weight  of  evidence  has  rendered  practi- 
cally indisputable  "  the  identity  of  the  primitive  bishops  and 
presbyters ;  that,  in  the  course  of  the  second  century,  the 
bishop  came  to  stand  above  the  rest  of  the  presbyters  of  the 
local  church ;  that  "  the  episcopate  grew  by  the  force  of 
circumstances,  in  the  order  of  Providence,  to  satisfy  a  felt 
want ;  "  that  "  the  supremacy  of  the  episcopate  was  the  result 
of  the  struggle  with  Gnosticism ; "  that  "  dioceses  in  the 
later  sense  of  the  term  did  not  yet  exist "  in  the  fourth 
century ;  and  tliat  the  first  diocese  was  that  of  which 
Alexandria  was  the  centre.^^  "  By  degrees  a  systematic 
organization  sprang  up,  by  which  neighboring  churches 
were  grouped  together  for  the  purposes  of  consultation  and 
self-government.  The  chief  city  of  each  district  had  the 
civil  rank  of  the  '  metropolis,'  or  mother  city.  There  the 
local  synods  naturally  met,  and  the  bishop  —  styled  '  metro- 
politan,' from  his  position  took  the  lead  in  the  deliberations, 
as  '■primus  inter  pares,^  and  acted  as  the  representative 
of  his  brother  bishops  in  their  intercourse  with  other 
churches.  Thus,  though  all  bishops  were  nominally  equal, 
a  superior  dignity  and  authority  came  by  general  consent  to 
be  vested  in  the  metropolitans,  which,  when  the  churches 
became  established,  received  the  stamp  of  ecclesiastical 
authority.  A  little  higher  dignity  was  assigned  to  the 
bishops  of  the  chief  seats  of  government,  such  as  Rome, 
Antioch,  Alexandria,  and  subsequent!}''  Constantinople ;  and 
among  these,  the  bishop  of  Rome  naturally  had  the  prece- 
dence." ^     Thus  slowly,  under  a  favoring  environment,  the 

50  Org.  Early  Christ.  Chhs.  (1880),  38;  82,  83;  98,  99;  215;  195, 194. 
30  8  Ency.  Brit.  488. 


62  THE   CHUECH- KINGDOM. 

bishop  from  being  a  mere  presbyter  became  a  presiding 
presbyter  over  equals,  then  a  metropolitan  among  neighbor- 
ing churches,  and  finally  a  bishop  with  authority,  when 
Christianity  became  the  state  religion  in  the  Roman 
Empire. 

§  58.  The  Episcopal  Theory  of  the  Christian  Church  when 
fully  developed  may  be  thus  stated :  "  In  order  to  be  a  valid 
branch  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  the  Church  must  have  (1) 
the  holy  Scriptures ;  (2)  the  ancient  catholic  creeds ;  (3) 
the  ministry  in  an  unbroken  line  of  succession  from  the 
apostles ;  (4)  this  ministry  must  be  in  the  exercise  of  lawful 
jurisdiction ;  (5)  the  Christians  of  any  nation  with  these 
conditions  constitute  a  national  branch  of  the  Church  of 
Christ,  totally  independent  of  the  jurisdiction  and  authority 
of  any  foreign  church  or  bishop,  subject  only  under  Christ 
to  the  authority  of  the  universal  Church  in  general  council 
assembled ;  and  (6)  as  such  they  have  jurisdiction  over  all 
their  members  and  authority  in  matters  of  faith  to  interpret 
and  decide,  and  in  matters  of  discipline  and  worship  to  legis- 
late and  ordain  such  rites  and  ceremonies  as  may  seem  most 
conducive  to  edification  and  godliness,  provided  they  be  not 
contrary  to  the  Holy  Scriptui-es."  ^^  This  theory  is  some- 
times stated  more  briefly  and  broadly,  but  with  less 
accuracy. 

§  59.  The  constitutive  principle  of  this  theory  may  be 
found  in  apostolic  succession ;  that  is,  that  "  episcopal  ordi- 
nation in  an  unbroken  line  of  succession  from  the  apostles 
is  necessary  to  valid  jurisdiction  and  the  due  administration 
of  the  sacraments  anywhere."  ^  If  this  line  be  broken  any- 
where, the  life  ceases  in  the  branches  thus  severed,  and  can 
not  again  be  restored,  except  by  ordination  at  the  hands  of 
some  bishop,  in  lawful  jurisdiction,  who  has  himself  been 
ordained  in  unbroken  line  of  succession  from  the  apostles. 
Hence  the  children  are  taught :  "  How  is  the  life  of  the 
church  preserved?     By  the  Holy  Ghost,  through  the  Apos- 

»■  Appleton's  Am.  Cycl.  vii,  249.  ='  Ujid.  250 


EPISCOPAL    THEOBY.  63 

tolic  Succession  of  her  ministry."  "  What  is  necessary  to 
make  any  particular  church  a  true  branch  of  the  Catholic 
Church  ?  It  must  hold  to  the  Creed  of  the  Church,  to  the 
Apostolic  Ministry,  and  to  the  Apostolic  Succession."  ^3  Xhe 
touch  of  a  bishop's  fingers  in  succession  is  the  essential  prin- 
ciple, since  neither  faith  nor  worship  nor  works  avail  any 
thing  without  his  official  touch.  On  this  "  fiction,"  as  Arch- 
bishop Whateley  calls  it,  the  renewing  grace  of  God  in  Christ 
Jesus  is  made  to  depend. 

§  60.  This  constitutive  principle  needs  ample  and  con- 
vincing proof,  but  instead  it  rests  on  assumption  largely. 
"  Bishop  Stillingfleet  declares  that  '  this  succession  is  as 
muddy  as  the  Tiber  itself.'  Bishop  Hoadley  asserts :  '  It 
hath  not  pleased  God,  in  his  providence,  to  keep  up  any 
proof  of  the  least  probability,  or  moral  possibility,  of  a  regu- 
lar uninterrupted  succession ;  but  there  is  a  general  appear- 
ance, and,  humanly  speaking,  a  certainty  to  the  contrary^  and 
that  the  succession  hath  often  been  interrupted.'  Archbishop 
Whately  affirms  that  '  there  is  not  a  minister  in  Christendom 
who  is  able  to  trace  up,  with  an  approach  to  certainty^  his 
spiritual  pedigree.'  "  ^  It  is  admitted  that  the  New  Testa- 
ment does  not  even  set  forth  the  fact  of  an  episcopate,  much 
less  the  constitutive  principle  of  the  Episcopal  Theor}',  which 
has  come  into  such  power  in  Christendom  ;  and  the  supposed 
traces  of  it  have  been  largely  removed  by  the  revision  of  the 
New  Testament.  "  The  care  of  all  the  churches  "  (2  Cor. 
11 :  28)  is  simply  "  anxiety  for  all  the  churches."  James  is 
sometimes  called  "the  bishop  of  Jerusalem,"  but  there  is  no 
evidence  that  he  was  any  thing  more  than  a  presiding  pres- 
byter, if  not  one  of  the  apostles.  Jerome  is  quoted  to  show 
that  episcopacy  was  called  into  being  to  repress  heresies  and 
supplement  the  authority  of  the  rapidly  diminishing  body  of 
the  apostles,  and  that  the  superiority  of  bishops  over  pres- 
byters was  rather  due  to  the  custom  of  the  churches  than  to 
the  ordinance  of  Christ.**     The  constitutive  principle  has  no 

33  Trinity  Church  Catechism,  Qs.  77,  79. 

3*  Orthodox  Congregationalism,  by  Dr.  Dorus  Clarke,  23.        ^'  8  Ency.  Brit.  484,  seq. 


64  THE   CHURCH- KINCrDOM. 

proof,  but  stands  in  direct  antagonism  to  the  tests  given  in 
the  New  Testament  of  what  constitutes  true  believers,  minis- 
ters, and  churches.  Christ  refused  to  let  his  apostles  forbid 
a  man  casting  out  devils  in  his  name,  because  he  did  not  fol- 
low them  (Mark  9  :  38,  39).  God  made  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  the  test,  and  taught  Peter  so  in  a  vision  (Acts  10 :  9- 
16).  The  apostles  and  church  at  Jerusalem,  in  two  test 
cases,  followed  the  same  rule  (Acts  11:  1-18;  15:  1-29). 
Hence,  not  apostolic  succession,  but  the  gift  and  graces  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  distinguish  the  gospel  ministry  and  the 
churches  of  Christ.  But  tliis  will  apj)ear  more  fully 
hei'eafter. 

§  61.  This  constitutive  principle  develops  into  a  compact 
system.  (1)  There  must  be  different  orders  of  the  clergy, 
some  as  bishops  possessed  of  functions  which  others  as  pres- 
byters do  not  possess.  In  fact  there  has  arisen  this  series  — 
deacons,  priests,  bishops,  archbishops,  and  patriarchs ;  but 
not  all  these  are  essential  to  the  system.  (2)  Lawful  juris- 
diction must  be  observed  to  prevent  confusion.  The  higher 
orders  must  have  their  respective  realms ;  a  bishop  his  dio- 
cese ;  the  priest  his  congregation.  The  bishop  has  in  his 
diocese  authority  over  churches  and  priests  and  deacons,  in 
matters  of  admission,  discipline,  and  property.  (3)  There 
are  national  convocations  or  conventions,  composed  of  two 
houses,  —  into  the  lower  of  which  laymen  may  be  admitted, 
—  which  have  authority  to  enact  whatever  may  be  needful  in 
matters  of  faith,  discipline,  ritual,  and  worship,  that  does  not 
contravene  the  sacred  Scriptures.  (4)  General  councils 
were  held  in  the  early  centuries,  having  authority  over  the 
vrhole  Church  in  virtue  of  the  union  of  Church  and  State. 
These  have  been  for  many  centuries  suspended  through  the 
divisions  in  Christendom.  They  must  be  restored  again  in 
order  to  complete  the  theory,  and  to  express  the  unity  of 
all  the  national  churches,  (5)  The  bishops  have  the  sole 
power  and  right  to  confirm  and  ordain  to  holy  orders.  No 
one  not  episcopally  ordained  is  qualified  for  the  ministry,  or 


EPISCOPAL    THE  OB  Y.  65 

can  be  recognized  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  whatever  suc- 
cess may  attend  his  labors.  And  no  congregation  of  true 
believers,  though  worshiping  statedly  in  one  place  and  call- 
ing itself  a  church,  can  be  a  true  church  or  be  recognized 
as  such,  unless  ministered  unto  in  orderly  connection  by  one 
who  has  been  ordained  by  a  bishop  in  the  line  of  succession 
from  the"  apostles.  And,  what  is  more,  no  denomination  of 
true  Christians,  though  presided  over  by  bishops,  so  called,  as 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  can  be  treated  as  a  branch 
of  the  true  Church,  until  the  said  bishops  and  the  lower 
clergy  shall  have  been  ordained  by  a  bishop  in  succession 
from  the  apostles.®"  Thus  is  carried  out,  in  logical  consist- 
ency, the  dictum  of  Cyprian :  "  It  is  no  avail  what  a  man 
teaches ;  it  is  enough  that  he  teaches  out  of  the  Church ; 
where  the  bishop  is,  there  is  the  Church."  ^'  (6)  The  sys- 
tem descends  to  minute  details  with  its  authority.  Thus,  on 
issuing  a  new  hymn-book,  in  1871,  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  in  the  United  States  of  America,  "resolved  that 
this  Hymnal  be  authorized  for  use,  and  that  no  other  Hymns 
shall  be  allowed  in  the  public  worship  of  the  Church,  except 
such  as  are  now  ordinarily  bound  up  with  the  Book  of  Com- 
mon Prayer."  The  words  both  of  prayer  and  of  praise  must 
be  "authorized,"  or  God  can  not  be  worshiped  acceptably  in 
public  service  !  Thus  the  principle  develops  into  a  system 
consistent  and  exclusive,  and  capable  of  universal  extension, 
provided  the  authority  of  control  can  be  carried  over  from 
national  conventions  to  general  councils  representing  all 
the  nations  of  Christendom. 

§  62.  The  Episcopal  Theory,  however,  has  not  always 
developed  into  precisely  the  same  system  or  form.  (1)  The 
Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church  of  the  East,  commonly  called 
the  Greek  Church,  is  its  oldest  form.  Under  this  general 
name  or  title,  several  national  churches  with  their  peculiari- 
ties are  included.     It  has  its  three  orders  of  ministers, — 

36  A  Churchman's  Reasons,  by  Dr.  Richardson,  150,  seq. 
3'  5  Ency.  Brit.  759. 


66  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

deacons,  priests,  and  bishops,  —  under  four  patriarchs  of 
equal  rank,  but  who  are  themselves  of  the  order  of  bishops. 
The  Eastern  Church  runs  so  nearly  in  the  line  of  the  develop- 
ment  of  the  Western  until  we  reach  the  question  of  the 
primacy,  that  we  might  almost  define  it  as  a  truncated  Papal 
Theory ;  for  it  holds  to  seven  sacraments  and  to  infallibility. 
(2)  The  Anglican  Church  had  its  birth  in  a  political  revo- 
lution and  a  spiritual  reformation.  It  broke  off  from  Rome  ; 
but,  as  might  be  supposed  from  the  compromises  in  which  it 
originated,  its  connection  with  the  civil  power  as  a  state 
establishment,  and  the  corruptions  from  which  it  was  only  a 
partial  reformation,  it  contains  discordant  elements,  in  its 
liturgy,  its  polity,  and  its  doctrine.  The  Prayer  Book  opens 
towards  Rome  and  towards  Geneva,  containing  both  papal 
and  evangelical  elements.  "An  impartial  estimate  of  the 
Anglican  formularies  would  probably  be  found  to  support 
that  view  of  coordinate  authority  of  Scripture  and  the 
Church  which  is  taken  by  a  large  body  of  her  divines,  .  .  . 
though  many  of  her  adherents  would  undoubtedly  incline, 
more  or  less  completely,  to  that  more  Protestant  view,  which 
suboi'dinates  the  Church  to  Scripture."^  In  polity  the 
Anglican  Church  is  also  incongruous,  since  it  places  a  lay- 
man, the  king  or  the  queen  of  England,  at  its  head.  Hence  a 
writer  truly  says :  "  She  is  a  Janus,  and  her  temple  is  always 
open."  Still  the  controlling  factor  in  this  incongruous  estab- 
lishment is  that  of  apostolic  succession.  The  grounds  of 
fellowship,  however,  as  set  forth  in  a  manifesto  issued  for 
visitors  of  the  World's  Exhibition  in  London,  in  1862,  are 
wider,  namely :  "  The  remission  and  regeneration  through 
Baptism,  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  Confirmation,  the 
objective  presence  of  the  body  and  the  blood  in  the  Eucha- 
rist, as  well  as  its  sacrificial  character.  Apostolic  Succession, 
Absolution,  and  the  authority  of  the  Ancient  Creeds."^ 
The  Anglican  Church  stands,  therefore,  more  closely  identi- 
fied with  the  Greek  Church  in  polity,  and  with  the  Greek 

38  5  Ency.  Brit.  759.  39  Ecclesia;  or,  Ch.  Problems  Considered,  US. 


EPISCOPAL    THEORY.  67 

and  Roman  Churches  in  doctrine,  than  with  the  Protestant 
Churches. 

(3)  The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  having  no  connec- 
tion with  the  State,  and  freed  from  an  adverse  environment, 
is  perhaps  the  normal  development  of  the  constitutive  prin- 
ciple. There  remains  a  Low  Church  element  in  it,  which  is 
foreign  to  the  system,  and  which  in  time  must  be  eliminated 
from" it,  but  which  can  find  no  distinctive  life  and  place  out- 
side. The  Reformed  Episcopal  Church,  having  no  distinct- 
ive constitutive  principle,  must  fail,  ceasing  to  be,  or  return- 
ing to  the  fold  whence  it  went  out. 

(4)  The  Moravian  Brethren  have  an  episcopal  govern- 
ment in  part.  "  The  ministers  are  bishops,  presbyters,  and 
deacons.  The  bishops  alone  can  ordain,  but  they  are  not 
diocesan.  They  are  appointed  by  the  general  synod,  or  by 
the  elders'  conference  of  the  Unity,  and  have  official  seats 
both  in  the  synods  of  the  provinces  where  they  preside,  and 
in  the  general  synod."  "  The  general  synod  which  governs 
the  whole  Church  meets  every  ten  years."  "  The  worship 
is  liturgical."  ^ 

These  are  differing  forms  of  the  same  theory  of  the 
Church  of  Christ,  and  constitute  the  cliief  manifestations 
of  Episcopacy. 

§  63.  There  are  several  things  to  be  noted  in  connection 
with  the  Episcopal  Theory  of  the  Christian  Church. 

(1)  It  is  a  systematic  form  of  church  government.  It  has 
a  central  formative  principle  and  a  logical  development,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  its  historical  forms  have  been 
modified  by  extrinsic  circumstances.  Strip  off  the  abnormal 
elements,  and  the  polity  will  be  invigorated.  "  The  decided 
growth  of  the  Episcopal  Church  (in  the  United  States) 
dates  from  the  jieriod  when  it  clearly  enunciated  its  dis- 
tinctive theory."  '•i  The  theory  referred  to  is  Apostolic 
Succession. 

««  16  Ency.  Brit.  812. 

*'  Prof.  Diniau,  lu  Centennial  No.  North  Am.  Review,  36. 


68  THE  CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

(2)  It  is  a  living,  aggressive  theory.  It  shows  a  most 
vigorous  vitality.  Denying  to  non-Episcopal  ministers  and 
churches,  of  all  names,  all  right  and  claim  to  be  true 
Christian  ministers  and  churches,  Episcopacy  consistently 
invades  their  mission  fields  and  parishes.  Logically  it  can 
not  do  otherwise.  Hence  the  more  consistent  the  system  is, 
the  more  intolerant  and  exclusive  it  must  become.  It  domi- 
nates large  and  active  communities,  as  we  have  seen,  hus- 
banding and  using  its  vast  resources  and  energies  in  its  own 
enlargement.  It,  like  the  Papacy,  contends  for  the  mastery 
of  Christendom,  and  thus  of  all  nations. 

(3)  Only  one  branch,  the  Eastern  Church,  claims  infalli- 
bility for  its  general  councils.  As  a  system,  infallibility  can 
not  be  predicated  of  it ;  reform  of  it  is  therefore  possible.  It 
can  surrender  any  doctrine  or  principle,  even  its  constitutive 
principle,  whenever  its  adherents  see  sufficient  cause  for  so 
doing,  and  become  another  polity. 

(4)  It  is  at  present  an  incomplete  system.  It  does  not 
now  as  formerly  express  the  unity  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  The  last  of  the  so-called  ecumenical  councils  was 
held  in  a.d.  680.  Since  then  this  theory  has  found  no  way 
of  exhibiting  the  unity  of  its  adherents.  The  Pan-Anglican 
Conferences,  and  the  Episcopal  Congresses,  held  in  later 
years,  have  been  limited  in  scope,  without  authority  to  gov- 
ern even  those  taking  part  in  them,  and  are  consequently 
abnormal.  Indeed,  it  would  seem  impossible,  in  this  age  of 
liberty,  to  convoke  a  general  council  which  should  have 
authority  over  national  churches.  Passing  beyond  national 
boundaries,  this  theory  of  the  Church  meets  a  barrier  of 
liberty  which  since  the  Reformation  it  has  not  had  strength 
to  pass.  To  convoke  a  general  council  to  deliberate  and 
advise,  is  to  expose  the  weakness  of  the  theory  and  intro- 
duce a  foreign  and  divisive  principle.  Hence  the  system 
stands  incomplete,  and  must  remain  incomplete,  unless  it  can 
restore  authoritative  general  councils.  Moreover,  being  in- 
complete, it  is  inadequate  to  answer  the  sacerdotal  prayer 


EPISCOPAL    THEORY.  69 

of  Christ  the  Head,  that  all  his  disciples  may  be  one,  that 
the  world  may  believe  in  Him  (John  17 :  20-23).  Unless 
it  can  again  find  a  way  to  set  up  general  councils  with 
authority,  the  theory  fails  to  reach  the  goal  of  ecumenical 
unity,  and,  sooner  or  later,  must  yield  to  the  theory  which 
shall  best  fulfill  this  prayer  of  Christ  on  the  principles  of 
liberty. 


LECTURE  IV. 

THE    PKESBYTEKIAL    AND     THE     CONGREGATIONAL   THEORY 
OF   THE   CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

"ie?  the  elders  that  rule  well  be  counted  icorthy  of  double  honor,  especially 
those  icho  labor  in  the  loord  and  in  teaching."  —  Saiut  Paul. 

^'Tell  it  jcnto  the  church  :  and  if  he  refuse  to  hear  the  church  also,  let  him 
be  unto  thee  as  the  Gentile  and  the  publican.''  — Jesus  Christ. 

Having  examined  the  Papal  and  tlie  Episcopal  Theory 
of  the  Christian  Church,  we  come  next  to  the  Presbyterial 
Theory. 

III.  —  THE   PRESBYTERIAL   THEORY   OF    THE   CHRISTIAN 

CHURCH. 

§  64.  This  theory  in  its  elements  is  older  than  the  Epis- 
copal, but  later  in  its  development.  As  we  have  seen  (§  57), 
the  primitive  churches  had  a  plurality  of  elders  in  each, 
called  by  Paul  a  "  presbytery."  These  presbyters,  like  the 
elders  or  rulers  in  the  synagogue,  had  the  oversight  and  rule 
in  the  church  in  which  they  were  bishops.  Hence  the  writer 
of  the  Hebrews  could  say  :  "  Remember  them  that  had  the 
rule  over  you  "  (Heb.  13  :  7,  2-i).  And  Clement  Romanus, 
writing  before  the  death  of  the  Apostle  John,  says :  "  Being 
obedient  to  those  who  had  the  rule  over  you,  and  giving  all 
fitting  honor  to  the  presbyters  among  you."  "  Ye,  therefore, 
who  laid  the  foundation  of  this  sedition,  submit  yourselves 
to  the  presbyters,  and  receive  correction  so  as  to  repent."  ^ 
Whatever  came  before  Presbyterian  rule  over  churches 
united  in  organic  bodies,  it  is  certain  that  the  rule  of  pres- 
byters, as  a  church  board,  in  local  churches,  came  before  the 

1  Ep.  Cor.  i,  Ivii. 


PBESBYTEBIAL    THEOBY.  71 

Episcopate  or  the  Papacy.  But  such  local  Presbyterian  rule 
did  not  develop  into  what  is  now  known  as  Presbyterian 
government.  Presbyterianism  as  a  polity  does  not  date  earlier 
than  John  Calvin.  But  there  had  been  similar  theories  pro- 
posed before  Calvin,  though  "  limited,  fragmentary,  and  abor- 
tive." The  aim  of  Calvin  was  to  formulate  a  theory  or  form  of 
government,  which  should  prevent  the  disintegration  caused 
by  the  Reformation,  and  at  the  same  time  match  the  power 
of  Rome.  He  would  have  separated  it  also  largely  from  the 
control  of  the  State.  Each  church,  at  the  first,  had  as  many 
presbyters  as  it  chose  to  elect. 

We  learn  the  respect  shown  the  presbyters  of  the  primi- 
tive churches  by  what  is  said  to  the  churches  about  obeying 
them.  Thus  Polycarp  tells  the  members  to  be  "  subject  to 
the  presbyters  and  deacons,  as  unto  God  and  Christ ;  "  ^  and 
Ignatius  speaks  of  being  "  subject  to  the  presbytery,  as  to 
the  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ."^  But  whatever  the  honor  paid 
the  local  church  presbytery,  there  was  no  association  of  such 
presbyteries  in  the  early  days  with  authority  over  particular 
churches. 

§  Qb.  Not  until  the  Great  Reformation  did  the  theory 
emerge,  and  then  only  through  a  wrong  interpretation  of  a 
single  passage  of  Scripture.  It  was  held  that  two  kinds  of 
elders,  ministerial  and  ruling  lay  elders,  are  mentioned  by 
Paul  in  the  words  :  "  Let  the  elders  that  rule  well  be  counted 
worthy  of  double  honor,  especially  those  who  labor  in  the 
word  and  in  teaching  "  (Tim.  5  :  17).  It  is  now  conceded 
by  good  Presbyterians  that  only  one  kind  of  elders  is  here 
referred  to. 

§  66.  The  Presbyterian  Theory  is  government  of  churches 
by  sessions,  presbyteries,  synods,  and  assemblies,  or  by 
similar  judicatories.  It  is  the  union  of  all  churches  in  one 
body,  under  the  rule  of  chosen  representatives  of  the 
churches ;  on  the  principle  that  the  greater  shall  rule  the 
less,  in  enlarging  judicatories,  until  all  become  united  in  one 

2Ep.  Phil.v.  3£p.  Tral.il. 


72  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

supreme  court,  to  which  appeals  cau  be  taken  from  the 
smallest  tribunal.  It  thus  seeks  visible  unity  under  orderly 
government,  for  all  churches, 

§  67.  The  constitutive  principle  which  controls  the  whole 
development  is  authoritative  representation.  This  pervades 
and  guides  every  thing.  By  this  we  mean  that  the  chosen 
representatives  of  a  particular  church  have  in  virtue  of 
their  election  the  power  to  rule  or  govern  that  church ;  and 
that  the  chosen  representatives  of  several  or  many  churches 
have  in  virtue  of  their  election  the  power  of  government 
over  those  churches ;  and  so  on  until  an  ecumenical  unity 
is  reached. 

The  principle  of  authoritative  representation  is  thus  the 
formative  principle  in  the  Presbyterian  Theory.  It  matters 
not,  so  far  as  the  theory  goes,  Avhether  the  representatives 
chosen  to  govern  be  ministers  or  laymen,  or  partly  ministers 
and  j)artly  laymen.  The  principle  is  se})arate  from  the  char- 
acter of  the  representatives,  and  from  the  historical  develop- 
ment of  the  principle  into  any  system. 

§  68.  Yet  in  the  development  of  the  principle,  it  is  best 
to  take  the  purest  historical  form  as  the  example,  which  is 
the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States.  It  is  free 
from  all  modifications  caused  by  the  union  of  Church  and 
State,  which  can  not  be  said  probably  of  any  European 
example  of  the  theory.  The  constitutive  principle  develops 
in  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  into  the 
following  simple  and  efficient  order  :  — 

(1)  The  believers  in  any  locality  are  united  in  a  particu- 
lar church,  the  primary  seat  of  power,  and  called  the  church 
of  that  place. 

(2)  Each  one  of  the  churches  so  gathered  chooses  from 
among  its  members  any  needed  number  of  ruling  elders, 
who,  together  with  the  pastor  or  pastors  of  that  church 
constitute  the  session,  with  power  to  admit,  discipline, 
dismiss,  or  excommunicate  members  of  said  church.  It 
elects   also  from  itself   delegates  or   representatives,  called 


PRESBYTERIAL    THE  OB  Y.  73 

commissioners,  to  the  higher  judicatories  of  the  presb3'tery 
and  the  synod  witliin  whose  jurisdiction  the  church  falls. 

(3)  "  A  presbytery  consists  of  all  the  ministers,  in 
number  not  less  than  five,  and  one  ruling  elder  from  each 
congregation,  within  a  certain  district." 

"  The  presbytery  has  power  to  receive  and  issue  appeals 
from  church  sessions,  and  references  brought  before  them 
in  an  orderly  manner;  to  examine  and  license  candidates  for 
the  holy  ministrj^ ;  to  ordain,  install,  remove,  and  judge 
ministers ;  to  examine  and  approve  or  censure  the  records  of 
church  sessions  ;  to  resolve  questions  of  doctrine  or  disci2)line 
seriously  and  reasonably  propounded ;  to  condemn  errone- 
ous opinions  which  injure  the  peace  or  purity  of  the  church  ; 
to  visit  particular  churches  for  the  purpose  of  inquiring 
into  their  state,  and  redressing  the  evils  that  may  have 
arisen  in  them ;  to  unite  or  divide  congregations  at  the  re- 
quest of  the  people,  or  to  form  or  receive  new  congregations; 
and  in  general  to  order  whatever  pertains  to  the  spiritual 
welfare  of  the  churches  under  their  care."  * 

The  presbyteries  are  thus  clothed  with  power  to  control 
the  churches  in  them  in  matters  of  doctrine  and  discipline, 
and  also  to  ordain,  remove,  and  judge  ministers.  This  in- 
cludes the  power  to  vacate  a  pulpit,  and  to  dissolve  the 
pastoral  relation,  at  their  own  discretion.^ 

(4)  "  A  synod  is  a  convention  of  the  bishoj)s  and  elders 
within  a  larger  district,  including  at  least  three  presbyteries." 
The  synods  have  the  power  to  do  for  the  presbj^teries,  over 
which  each  has  jurisdiction,  what  the  presbyteries  may  do 
for  church  sessions,  in  matters  of  references,  appeals, 
records,  wrongs,  evils,  order;  in  forming,  uniting,  or  divid- 
ing presbyteries ;  and  in  general  oversight.  They  have  also 
the  right  "to  propose  to  the  General  Assembly,  for  their 
adoption,  such  measures  as  may  be  of  common  advantage  to 
the  whole  Church."*^ 

*  Form  of  Government,  x,  sec.  i,  viii. 

5  Moore's  Digest  (1873),  144-180;  Minutes  Gen.  Assembly,  1874,83,85. 

^  Form  of  Government,  xi,  sec.  i,  iv. 


74  THE  CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

(5)  "  The  General  Assembly  is  the  highest  judicatory  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church.  It  shall  represent,  in  one  body, 
all  the  particular  churches  of  this  denomination.  It  consists 
of  an  equal  delegation  of  bishops  and  elders  from  each 
presbytery,"  in  a  specified  proportion. 

It  receives  and  issues  appeals  and  references  duly  brought 
before  it ;  reviews  records  of  synods ;  gives  constitutional 
advice  and  instruction  ;  constitutes  a  bond  of  union  ;  decides 
all  controversies  respecting  doctrine  and  discipline ;  bears 
testimony  against  errors  and  immorality  in  any  church, 
presbytery,  or  synod ;  erects  new  synods  ;  superintends  the 
concerns  of  the  whole  church ;  corresponds  with  foreign 
bodies ;  suppresses  schismatical  contentions ;  and  reforms 
manners  in  all  churches  under  its  care.'^ 

(6)  There  was  organized,  in  1875,  a  Presbyterian 
Alliance.  Its  first  general  council  met  in  1877,  and  there- 
after meets  "  once  in  three  years."  "  Any  church  organized 
on  Presbyterian  principles  which  holds  the  supreme  author- 
ity of  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  in 
matters  of  faith  and  morals,  and  whose  creed  is  in  harmony 
with  the  consensus  of  the  Reformed  Confessions,  shall  be 
eligible  for  admission  into  the  alliance." 

(a)  "Its  powers.  The  council  shall  have  power  to  decide 
upon  the  application  of  churches  desiring  to  join  the 
alliance ;  it  shall  have  power  to  entertain  and  consider 
topics  which  may  be  brought  before  it  by  any  church  repre- 
sented in  the  council,  or  by  any  member  of  the  council,  on 
their  being  transmitted  in  the  manner  hereinafter  provided ; 
but  it  shall  not  interfere  with  the  existing  creed  or  consti- 
tution of  any  church  in  the  alliance,  or  with  its  internal 
order  or  external  relations."  ^ 

(Z*)  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  constitutive  principle  of 
Presbyterianism  is  expressly  abandoned  in  "  The  Alliance  of 
the  Reformed  Churches  throughout  the  world  holding  the 

'  Form  of  Government,  xii,  sec.  i,  ii,  iv,  v. 

"  Constitution  of  Presby.  Alliance,  art.  ii,  iii,  3. 


PBESBYTEBIAL    THEORY.  75 

Presbyterian  system."  Authoritative  representation  is 
dropped  on  passing  national  boundaries,  and  a  foreign  prin- 
ciple introduced,  which  substitutes  deliberation  and  the 
expression  of  opinion  for  the  decrees  of  a  judicatory  with 
authority.  In  attaining  ecumenical  unity  Presbyterianisra 
by  constitutional  provision  surrenders,  for  the  time  being  at 
least,  the  very  principle  which  makes  it  Presbyterian. 

§  69.  This  theory  claims  to  find  the  proof  of  its  constitu- 
tive principle  in  tlie  New  Testament.  In  a  paper  read  before 
the  second  council  of  the  Presbyterian  Alliance,  held  in 
1880,  it  was  said  that  "there  is  not  a  scintilla  of  evidence  for 
any  other  form  of  government  in  the  New  Testament."  ^ 
Yet  the  author  was  chary  of  Scriptural  proof,  adducing  only 
the  conceded  identity  of  presbyters  and  bishops,  and,  further, 
the  ordination  and  discipline  of  presbyters.  The  whole 
system  has  been  claimed  to  be  Scriptural,  the  jure  divino 
constitution  of  the  Christian  Church.  This  claim  has,  how- 
ever, been  so  shattered  that  Prof.  E.  D.  Morris,  d.d.,  of 
the  Lane  Theological  Seminary,  is  constrained  to  say  :  "  In 
explaining  and  justifying  this  polity  on  Scriptural  grounds, 
notliing  more  than  such  general  warrant  will  be  affirmed." 
He  then  surrenders  the  jure  divino  claim  for  Presbyterian- 
ism  ;  and  justifies  Presbyterianism  (1)  by  reference  to  the 
synagogue  as  the  model  of  the  Church ;  (2)  by  the  claim 
that  the  apostles  ordained  elders,  who  taught,  governed,  and 
had  general  oversight  in  the  churches ;  (3)  by  "  the  con- 
ception of  government,  as  a  distinct  characteristic  of  the 
Church  ;  "  (4)  by  "  the  fellowship  of  the  churches,  and  the 
unity  of  the  Church,  as  well  in  government  as  in  more 
general  forms  of  administrative  association."  "Such  in  out- 
line are  the  Scriptural  foundations  on  which  the  Presbyterian 
polity  claims  to  rest."  '^^ 

"We  shall  have  occasion  to  examine  the  texts  on  which 
this  claim  rests,  and  so  we  pass  them  now,  only  saying  here 

3  Report  and  Proceedings,  153. 
"  Eeclesiology  (lf<S5),  13!>-143. 


76  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

that  the  identity  of  i:)resb3'ters  and  bishops  is  not  a  doctrine 
peculiar  to  Presbyterianism ;  that  the  whole  synagogue 
service  was  conducted  by  laymen ;  that  each  synagogue  was 
independent  of  the  control  of  other  synagogues,  though  in 
fellowship  with  them  ;  and  that  the  "  presbytery "  of  the 
New  Testament  was  confined  to  a  local,  or  particular,  church, 
like  a  modern  Presbyterian  session,  and  nothing  more. 

§  70.  The  constitutive  principle  of  Presbyterianism  has 
had  several  forms  of  development,  more  or  less  differing  in 
general  character  and  in  details. 

(1)  There  is  a  large  number  of  churches  called  Presbyte- 
rian. There  are  fifty  such  on  the  roll  of  the  second  council 
of  the  Presbyterian  Alliance.  Ireland  enrolled  two  Presby- 
terian churches ;  Scotland,  five ;  the  United  States,  eight ; 
Austria,  three }  France,  two ;  Germany,  two ;  Italy,  two ; 
Switzerland,  four ;  thus  revealing  the  inability  of  authorita- 
tive rei^resentation  to  unify  churches  within  national  limits, 
even  when  those  boundaries  are  very  narrow. 

(2)  The  Methodist-Episcopal  Church  is  not  strictly  Epis- 
copal, but  is  essentially  Presbyterian.  Its  bishops  are  pres- 
byters raised  to  a  defined  superintendency,  but  not  consti- 
tuting a  third  order  in  the  ministry.  Before  this  Church 
can  be  recognized  as  Episcopal,  its  bishops  and  presbyters 
must  be  ordained,  in  the  line  of  apostolic  succession,  by  the 
bishop,  rightly  ordained,  of  some  other  Church.^^  The  gov- 
ernment of  this  Church  is  chiefly  by  presbyters,  on  the  prin- 
ciple of  authoritative  representation.  On  this  the  Wesleyan 
Methodists  and  the  Episcopal-Methodists  essentially  agree. 

But  Methodism  as  a  polity  is  not  a  simple,  but  a  com- 
pound, and  hence  it  is  unstable.  The  following  changes 
maybe  noted  in  the  Methodist-Episcopal  Church:  (1)  At 
first  bishops  alone  ordained,  now  the  conferences  have  the 
power  to  participate ;  (2)  the  bishops  can  not  now,  as  for- 
merly, decide  appeals,  (3)  nor  control  the  press,  which  is 
now  in  the  hands  of  the  conference ;    (4)  ministers  can  not 

11  Churchman's  Reasons,  150-167. 


PBESBYTEBIAL    THEORY.  77 

now,  as  formerly,  set  members  back  on  trial ;  (5)  nor  expel 
them  without  trial ;  (6)  nor  appoint  all  the  stewards.^^  To 
these  changes  may  be  added  a  most  fundamental  one  (7), 
the  introduction,  after  long  delay  and  secessions,  of  lay  rep- 
resentation. This  radical  change  from  clerical  rule  to  the 
admission  of  a  lay  element  in  the  government  of  the  Church 
was  effected  in  1872.  Before  that  date  "  not  a  layman  ever 
touched  his  linger  to  the  making  of  the  laws  of  discipline  " 
by  which  that  great  communion  had  been  governed.  These 
changes  are  steps  toward  greater  liberty  and  the  fuller  recog- 
nition of  the  principle  which  is  dominant  in  their  polity. 
Yet  the  conflicting  elements  still  remaining  will  cause 
trouble  and  possibly  division  again. 

§  71.  We  remark,  on  the  Presbyterian  Theory  of  the 
Christian  Church :  — 

(1)  That  it  is  a  simple,  consistent,  but  incomplete  system. 
At  present  the  theory  stops  at  national  boundaries.  It  has 
become  another  theory  and  polity  in  the  Presbyterian  Alli- 
ance. To  reach  ecumenical  unity  on  its  own  peculiar  prin- 
ciple, the  alliance  must  be  clothed  with  power  to  rule  the 
churches  that  compose  it.  Whether  the  Presbyterian  Alli- 
ance will  be  able  in  time  to  gain  and  apply  the  constitutive 
principle  of  Presbyterianism  to  itself  or  not,  the  future  must 
determine ;  but  as  the  matter  now  stands,  the  head  of  gold 
is  in  antagonism  with  the  body  of  silver  and  brass  and  iron 
and  clay.  It  has  borrowed  from  another  polity  the  princij^le 
of  fellowship  without  authority,  on  which  to  show  its  ability 
to  attain  ecumenical  comprehension  in  fulfilling  the  prayer 
of  Christ  for  unity. 

(2)  Tliis  theory  is  not  dependent  ujDon  there  being  in 
each  church  a  board  of  ruling  lay  elders,  as  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  America  has  de- 
clared.'^ If  the  lay  elders  should  be  ordained  presbyters,  or 
if  a  board  of  laymen  should  take  the  place  of  ruling  elders, 

«  Eccl.  PoUty.  by  Rev.  A.  N.  Fillmore,  193, 194. 
«  Moore's  Digest  (1873),  115. 


78  THE  CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

the  representation  would  l)e  clothed  with  equal  authority  to 
govern.  Presbyterianism  does  not,  therefore,  fall  with  the 
surrender  of  Calvin's  wrong  interpretation  of  1  Tim.  5:  17. 

(3)  This  theory  of  the  Church  does  not  claim  infallibility. 
It  has  surrendered,  or,  more  accurately,  is  surrendering,  its 
jure  divino  claim.  It  is  surrendering  its  theory  of  ruling 
elders.  It  has  waived  aside  its  constitutive  principle  in  the 
formation  of  the  Presbyterian  Alliance.  It  may  surrender 
also  other  positions,  as  greater  light  comes  to, it.  Its  highest 
judicatory  in  America  in  1832  inhibited  women  from  speak- 
ing in  promiscuous  assemblies  ;^*  but  the  same  General  Assem- 
bly in  1874  declined  to  express  an  opinion  on  the  question, 
but  committed  "  the  whole  subject  to  the  discretion  of  the 
pastors  and  elders  of  the  churches."  ^^  The  General  Assem- 
bly thus  vacated,  m  this  instance,  its  right  and  power  "  of 
deciding  in  all  controversies  respecting  doctrine  and  disci- 
pline," 1^  and  remanded  such  a  question  to  church  sessions, 
which  by  the  Form  of  Government  have  no  such  power.^" 
This  transference  recognizes  the  principles  of  another  polity 
and  has  great  peril  in  it  to  the  Presbyterian  Theory. 

(4)  The  theory,  not  being  infallible,  is  reformable.  We 
have  noted  some  changes.  Others  may  arise.  Once,  cases 
of  discipline  were  appealed  from  the  church  session  to  the 
presbytery,  thence  to  the  synod,  and  finally  to  the  General 
Assembly,  thus  involving  the  whole  Church  perhaps  in  a 
petty  quarrel.  The  annual  sessions  of  the  assembly  were 
burdened  with  such  appeals.  In  order  to  carry  on  the  other 
business  more  satisfactorily,  these  appeals  are  now  carried  to 
a  judicial  commission,  whose  decisions  are  final  except  in 
matters  of  law  and  all  matters  of  constitution  and  doctrine. 
This  is  an  important  change  inasmuch  as  the  voice  of  the 
whole  Church  is  not  uttered  by  the  commission,  as  it  is  by 
the  General  Assembly.  This  change  was  made  in  1884.  It 
raises  the  question  why  a  shorter  reference  may  not  be  had 

"  Moore's  Digest,  304.  "  Form  of  Government,  xii,  v. 

15  Minutes,  66.  "  I^id-  ix,  vi. 


CONGBEGATIONAL    THEOBY.  79 

and  one  equally  trustworthy.     All  these  modifications  are 
toward  greater  liberty. 

IV.  —  THE    CONGKEGATIONAL   THEORY    OF    THE    CHRISTIAN 

CHURCH. 

§  72.  The  last  of  the  four  theories  of  the  Christian 
Church  is  the  oldest  in  principles  and  the  latest  in  develop- 
ment. It  is  conceded  by  historians  that  the  primitive  churches, 
like  the  synagogues  or  clubs  from  which  they  came,  were 
absolutely  independent  one  of  another  (§  109)  and  that 
they  had  at  first  no  organic  system  of  fellowship.  When 
such  fellowship  arose,  it  was  without  the  exercise  of  author- 
ity. Not  even  a  vote  of  the  body  could  bind  dissentients 
until  the  Church  was  united  with  the  empire  under  Constan- 
tine,  about  a.d.  313.  The  principles  of  this  polity  go  back 
to  Christ,  but  its  development  in  harmony  with  those  prin- 
ciples dates  since  the  Reformation.  Hatch,  in  his  Bampton 
Lectures,  1880,  traces  all  the  elements  found  in  the  j)rimitive 
churches  to  sources  external ;  to  institutions  civil,  eleemosy- 
nary, or  religious. ^*^  This  shows  the  preparation  providen- 
tially made  for  Christianity  as  an  organism.  We  shall 
discuss  this  polity  in  detail  in  subsequent  Lectures. 

§  73.  The  Congregational  Theory  of  the  Christian  Church 
is  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  being  itself  one,  has  but  one 
normal  manifestation,  or  natural  development,  which  appears 
first  in  individual  churches,  equal  in  origin,  rights,  func- 
tions, and  duties,  which  are  consequently  independent  one 
of  another  in  matters  of  control;  then  in  associations  of 
churches  without  authority  by  which  the  fraternity  and 
unity  of  all  Christians  are  expressed  and  the  churches 
cooperate  in  Christian  labors,  all  being  subject  to  Christ 
alone  and  to  his  revealed  will.  It  shuns  independency  on 
the  one  hand,  with  which  it  is  sometimes  confounded,  and 
on  the  other  hand  the  exercise  of  authority  by  associated 
churches.      It  also  avoids  all  ministerial  or  prelatical  rule. 

"  Org.  Early  Christ.  Churches,  208,  passim. 


80  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

§  74.  The  constitutive  principle  of  the  Congregational 
Theory  of  the  Christian  Church  is  not  the  participation  of 
all  the  members  of  a  local  church  in  the  government  of  that 
church.  "  The  exercise  of  all  government  by  the  church 
collectively,  and  not  by  the  office-bearers  alone,"'  is  held  by 
some  to  be  its  determining  characteristic. •^  But  a  church 
governed  by  adult  members,  or  by  adult  male  members,  or 
b}'"  a  board  of  control  elected  for  the  purpose  and  reporting 
to  the  church,  is  Congregational  if  independent  of  outside 
control  and  united  by  fellowship  to  other  churches. 

(1)  Its  constitutive  principle  is  the  independence  under 
Christ  of  each  fully  constituted  Church  of  Christ,  or  the 
autonomy  under  Christ  of  ever}"  local  congregation  of  be- 
lievers duly  organized.  This  church  independence  is  the 
principle  which  makes  Congregationalism  what  it  is.  It 
governs  all  its  institutions  and  determines  all  questions  that 
arise  touching  order.  And  we  mean  by  independence  here 
the  right  and  duty  under  Christ  of  each  fully  constituted 
local  church  to  manage  its  own  affairs,  elect  and  ordain  all  its 
officers,  administer  its  discipline,  and  determine  its  mode  of 
fellowship,  without  external  accountability  and  control,  but 
in  harmony  with  the  fellowship  of  unity  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  Each  church  is  thus  complete  in  itself,  possessed 
of  'the  whole  functions  of  the  Christian  Church,  so  that  if 
all  other  churches  should  cease  to  be,  it  could  become  the 
mother  church  of  another  Christendom.  The  independency 
of  the  local  church  controls  the  entire  development  of  the 
system,  and  distinguishes  Congregationalism  from  all  other 
systems. 

(2)  It  is  sometimes  claimed  that  fellowship  is  a  distinctive 
principle  of  Congregationalism  ;  but  this  we  believe  to  be  a 
palpable  mistake.  The  fundamental  idea  of  the  Church  of 
Christ  is  "  the  communion  of  saints ; "  and  every  theory  of 
that  Church  uses  fellowship  as  its  common  element,  but  each 
after  its  own  peculiar  formative  principle.     As  against  strict 

"  Church  of  Christ,  Prof.  Bannerman's,  ii,  314,  315. 


CONGBEGATIONAL    THEOBY.  81 

independency  —  were  such  a  thing  possible — fellowship  is 
a  peculiar  principle,  occupying  one  of  the  foci  of  an  ellipse, 
but  against  all  actual  polities,  fellowship  is  not  peculiar  to 
the  Congregational  polity,  since  they  have  church  fel- 
lowship in  presbyteries,  conferences,  conventions,  or  councils. 
Fellowship  is  common  therefore  to  all  polities,  and  should 
never  be  spoken  of  as  a  peculiar  principle  of  any  one  of 
them. 

§  75.  In  the  development  arising  from  the  constitutive 
principle  of  the  Congregational  Theory,  there  is :  — 

(1)  The  local  congregation  of  believers,  gathering  the 
true  Christians  of  a  place  into  church  relations  for  worship 
and  work,  each  such  church  having  power  of  self-govern- 
ment under  Christ,  to  manage  all  its  internal  affairs.  It  is 
complete,  autonomous,  independent  of  external  control. 

(2)  These  independent  churches,  sustaining  the  same  re- 
lation to  the  indivisible  kingdom  of  heaven,  stand  in  the 
closest  relation  to  one  another  in  fellowship,  a  fraternity  or 
brotherhood,  with  obligations  and  duties  that  bind  them  into 
associations  of  communion,  assistance,  cooperation.  No 
church  can  live  unto  itself  alone.  The  oneness  of  the  king- 
dom constrains  all  useful  modes  of  fellowship. 

(3)  This  fellowship  may  find  expression  in  occasional 
councils  of  churches,  to  inquire  and  advise  in  matters  of 
common  concernment,  or  of  church  discipline  and  peace,  or 
respecting  any  questions  where  light  and  advice  may  be 
needed. 

(4)  But  as  fellowship  is  a  constant  force  wider  than 
advice,  and  should  therefore  have  stated  and  systematic 
expression,  the  churches  should  meet  statedly  for  consulta- 
tion and  cooperation,  in  bodies  that  should  have  and  exer- 
cise no  authority  of  coercion,  but  only  the  right  of  self- 
protection.  This  systematic  fellowship  of  churches  has 
found  regular  expression  in  the  following  bodies :  — 

(a)  District  associations,  or  conferences.  These  are 
composed  of  ministers  and  delegates  of  the  churches  situ- 


82  THE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

ated  within  a  small  territory.  They  usually  meet  twice  a 
year,  and  possess  no  ecclesiastical  authority  over  the 
churches  and  ministers  composing  them,  except  what  is 
essential  to  self-protection,  a  right  and  power  which  every 
organization  possesses. 

(5)  State  associations,  or  conferences.  In  these  the 
churches  of  a  State  or  Territory  are  united  under  a  consti- 
tution, defining  membership,  and  excluding  the  exercise  of 
ecclesiastical  control  or  authority  over  the  ministers  and 
churches  belonging  to  them.  Yet  here  too  the  body  has  the 
inalienable  and  self-evident  right  and  duty  of  enforcing  the 
terms  of  its  constitution,  and  the  covenant  of  association, 
whether  written  or  unwritten. 

(c)  National  associations,  called  the  National  Council  in 
the  United  States,  but  Unions  in  England  and  her  Colonies. 
These  include  the  churches  of  the  nation  or  province,  in 
some  proportionate  representation  specified  in  their  constitu- 
tions. The  independence  of  the  local  churches  is  secured 
by  such  provisions  as  these :  "  This  National  Council  shall 
never  exercise  legislative  or  judicial  authority,  nor  consent 
to  act  as  a  council  of  reference."  "  The  Union  recognizes 
the  right  of  every  church  to  administer  its  affairs,  free  from 
external  control,  and  shall  not,  in  any  case,  assume  legislative 
authority,  or  become  a  court  of  appeal." 

(d)  This  theory,  to  be  complete,  must  hold  general  coun- 
cils of  all  national  associations,  in  other  words,  an  ecumeni- 
cal association.  The  reasons  for  this  are  the  same  as  under 
the  other  three  theories,  the  communion  of  saints  and  the 
prayer  of  Christ  for  universal  unity  (John  17 :  20-23). 
These  we  have  already  discussed  in  another  place.  ^  When 
organized,  as  it  some  time  will  be,  the  Congregational  The- 
ory of  the  Christian  Church  will  have  reached  ecumenical 
comprehension.  This  development  will  be  normal  from  be- 
ginning to  end,  with  no  introduction  of  foreign  elements, 
with  no  damage  to  the  liberty  of  local  churches.     Its  consti- 

'» 16  Cong.  Quarterly  (1874),  291,  seq. 


CONGBEGATIONAL    THEORY.  83 

tutive  principle  dominates  fellowship  in  every  stage  of  its 
widening  development. 

§  76.  The  constitutive  principle  of  this  theory  controls 
the  following  communions :  The  Independent,  or  Congrega- 
tional, churches  of  Great  Britain  and  her  Provinces  ;  the 
Congregational  churches  of  the  United  States ;  the  Baptist 
churches  of  all  names  and  lands ;  the  Christian  and  some 
other  minor  bodies. 

The  Lutheran  communions  generally  hold  it,  but  modified 
by  modes  of  ministerial  discipline  which  are  somewhat  Pres- 
byterian. "  The  [Lutheran]  churches  undoubtedly  retain 
the  authority  to  call,  to  elect,  and  ordain  ministers."  "  Eccle- 
siastical power  really  vests  in  the  church  itself,  or  in  the 
members  constituting  the  church.  Each  individual  congre- 
gation, embracing  pastor  and  people,  has  full  authority 
under  Christ  to  act  for  itself."  ^^  The  European  Lutherans, 
being  connected  with  the  State,  are  less  Congregational  than 
the  American  Lutherans. 

§  77.  As  the  other  Lectures  will  be  given  to  the  proof, 
development,  and  relations  of  the  Congregational  Theory  of 
the  Christian  Church,  it  is  enough  to  say  here  that  the  proof 
is  rational.  Scriptural,  and  ecclesiastical.  Its  impregnable 
citadel  is  in  the  New  Testament  and  the  conceded  constitu- 
tion of  the  apostolic  churches  (§  109).  Its  relations  to  re- 
ligious and  civil  liberty  prove  its  fitness  to  be  the  coming 
polity  (§  82). 

§  78.  This  Congregational  Theory  demands  a  few  special 
observations :  — 

(1)  It  develops  into  a  simple,  consistent,  comprehensive 
system,  able  to  express  the  unity  of  believers  the  world 
around.  It  must  have  been  by  neglecting  its  modes  of  fel- 
lowship, and  fixing  the  eye  on  the  impossible  claims  of  strict 
independency,  that  Professor  Bannerman,  of  New  College, 
Edinburgh,  could  call  it  a  "  no  church  system,"  in  this  pas- 
sage :    "  It   is   not   in    the    church    system  —  or,   rather,   no 

"  25  Bib.  Sacra,  4S9,  490. 


84  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

church  system  —  of  Congregational  Independency,  that  we 
see  an  approach  to  the  model  exhibited  for  our  imitation  in 
the  Apostolic  Church."  22  It  will  appear,  we  think,  in  due 
time  that  Congregational  Independency  is  a  simple,  consist- 
ent, comprehensive  scheme,  suited  to  all  the  functions  and 
emergencies  of  the  churches  of  Christ,  and  possessing  as 
good  a  claim  to  inherit  the  earth  as  can  be  produced  for  any 
other  theory. 

(2)  Still  it  puts  forth  no  claim  of  infallibility  in  its  devel- 
opment. Whatever  has  been  incorporated  in  it  that  is 
abnormal,  or  whatever  is  normal  that  has  been  neglected, 
in  its  bitter  struggle  for  existence,  can  be  removed  or 
replaced,  as  light  shall  reveal  more  clearly  the  vast 
comprehension  of  its  principles. 

(3)  This  is  a  living  and  revolutionary  theory.  It  bears 
in  its  bosom  popular  governments,  democracies  in  the 
nations,  because  first  in  the  churches.  It  makes  all  men 
brothers,  under  one  Father,  in  essential  equality.  It  makes 
the  people  of  the  Lord  free  —  a  kingdom  and  priests  unto 
God.  It  withholds  from  elders  the  power  of  "  lording  it 
over  the  charge  allotted  to  them"  (1  Peter  5:  3).  Because 
of  its  leveling  power,  this  theory  has  incurred  the  hatred  of 
aristocracies  and  hierarchies  as  no  other  polity  has  ever  done 
or  can  ever  do.  Yet  it  still  lives,  to  contend  for  the  mastery  : 
for  the  life  of  God  is  in  it. 

V.  —  COMPARISON    OF   THESE   FOUR    THEORIES   OF   THE 
CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

We  have  drawn  out  with  some  degree  of  particularity  the 
four  theories  of  church  government  which  are  competing 
for  the  mastery  of  Christendom,  and  so  of  the  world.  We 
may  say  of  them  :  — 

§  79.  They  are  the  only  simple  theories  of  the  Christian 
Church.  They  can  each  be  reduced  to  one  constitutive  prin- 
ciple, with  a  normal  manifestation  covering  the  main  features 

"  Church  of  Christ,  il,  330. 


THE  FOUE    THEORIES   COMPARED.  85 

of  their  historical  development.  The  abnormal  features 
mentioned  are  due  to  extraneous  conditions,  and  constitute 
no  impeachment  of  the  claim  that  each  theory  is  a  simple 
and  not  a  compound  theory.  The  formative  principle 
which  gives  life  and  shape  to  each  system,  and  answers  all 
questions  touching  it,  has  been  definitely  stated ;  and  with 
them  all  we  compass  the  whole  possible  circuit  of  church 
polity.  Hence  they  are  the  only  simple  theories  of  the 
Church.  When  we  place  the  government  of  the  visible 
Church  in  the  hands  of  an  infallible  primate,  or  in  the 
hands  of  a  few  bishops,  the  successors  of  the  apostles,  or  in 
the  hands  of  authoritative  representatives  of  the  churches, 
or  in  the  hands  of  independent  churches,  we  cover  the  whole 
ground  of  possible  simple  systems.  Thus  the  Papacy,  Epis- 
copacy, Presbyterianism,  and  Congregationalism,  are  the 
only  stable  systems,  because  simple.  They  may  be  com- 
pounded to  some  degree  in  unstable  systems,  tending  ever 
to  become  simple  and  so  engendering  strifes  and  secessions ; 
but  such  systems  must  severally  become,  sometime,  one  of 
the  above  four  simple  systems,  when  its  dominant  principle 
shall  have  thrown  off  the  foreign  elements.  We  have  noted 
the  changes  in  EpLscopal  Methodism,  but  "  Methodism,"  says 
one  of  its  advocates,  "  will  be  found  to  be  a  regular  and 
systematic  combination  of  the  three  principles  of  church 
government,  namely :  Episcopal,  Presbyterian,  and  Con- 
gregational." ^  Whatever  Methodism  has  borrowed  from 
Episcopacy  and  Congregationalism,  it  has  not  borrowed  the 
constitutive  principle  of  either  polity ;  and  cleavage  and 
change  will  go  on  in  it,  until  it  becomes  a  simple,  dominated 
by  one  formative  principle. 

§  80.  These  theories  are  mutually  exclusive.  One  does 
not  lead  to  another,  or  grow  out  of  another,  though  the  con- 
ditions for  the  development  of  one  may  have  also  conduced 
to  the  development  of  another,  as  the  environment  of  the 
Roman  Empire  helped  Episcopacy  in  the  East  and  Papacy  in 

«>  Eccl.  Polity,  by  llev.  A.  N.  Fillmore,' 122. 


86  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

the  West.  The  rule  of  the  preshyteries  in  local  churches 
opened  the  door,  through  the  presiding  presbyter,  historically 
but  not  logically,  for  Episcopal  succession  and  rule ;  and 
Episcopacy  opened  the  door  in  the  same  way  for  the  Primacy  : 
but  logically  the  constitutive  principles  of  all  these  theories 
are  separate  and  exclusive.  As  one  did  not  emerge  from  an- 
other, so  one  can  not  be  liarraonized  with  another.  They  are 
mutually  exclusive.  If  any  two  of  them  be  bound  together 
by  green  withes,  as  is  sometimes  done  in  so-called  union 
churches,  they  will  wrestle  and  contend  and  divide  until  one 
or  the  other  is  expelled  or  the  church  is  killed.  As  in  large 
communions  so  in  the  individual  churches,  a  mixed  govern- 
ment struggles  to  become  homogeneous.  Hence  the  cele- 
brated dictum  of  Dr.  Nathanael  Emmons  :  "  Consociationism 
leads  to  Presbyterianism ;  Presbyterianism  leads  to  Episco- 
pacy ;  Episcopacy  leads  to  Roman  Catholicism  ;  and  Roman 
Catholicism  is  an  ultimate  fact,"  ^  is  only  partly  true.  Con- 
sociationism is  indeed  a  compound,  with  a  dual  interpretation 
of  it,^  but  whose  essential  element  was  declared  in  1799,  by 
the  Hartford  North  Association  of  Congregational  ministers 
to  be  Presbyterian.-''  Each  other  polity  mentioned  is  an 
ultimate  fact,  Presbyterianism  as  really  as  Roman  Catholicism. 
The  most  that  can  be  said  of  this  dictum  is  that  its  first  and 
last  clauses  are  correct. 

While  the  Papacy  holds  the  "  figment "  of  apostolic  suc- 
cession, its  formative  principle  of  an  infallible  primate  would 
hold  its  theory  of  the  Church  in  unabated  vigor,  were  the 
whole  episcopate  besides  abolished,  as  Bishop  Coxe  claims 
that  it  has  already  been  abolished  by  the  Council  of  Trent. 
While  the  Episcopacy  allows,  in  some  degree,  authoritative 
representation  by  presbyters  and  even  laymen,  yet  neither  its 
unity  nor  its  life  inhere  therein,  and  it  would  exist  in 
unabated  vigor  were  that  representation  abolished,  which  is 
only  a  concession  to  popular  demands.     It  is  not  strictly  a 

"  Memoirs,  by  Rev.  Edwards  A.  Park,  d.d.,  163.       ^^  Contrib.  Eccl.  Hist.  Ct.,  40,  seq. 
2«  Hist.  I'resb.  Ch.,  by  Dr.  E.  H.  Gillett,  i,  438. 


THE  FOUR    THEORIES   COMPARED.  87 

part  of  the  Episcopal  system.  The  three  other  theories 
give  no  couuteuauce  to  the  Congregational  Theory  of  the 
Christian  Church,  nor  can  they:  for  the  independence 
of  the  local  church  is  subversive  of  all  aristocratic  or 
hierarchical  pretensions  and  systems.  There  is  nothing  in 
common  as  to  principles  between  this  popular  theory  and 
the  others. 

It  follows  that  no  one  of  these  theories  can  be  reformed 
into  another  of  them,  without  there  being  first  a  destruction 
of  its  formative  principle.  By  no  development  or  modifica- 
tion can  one  be  otherwise  transformed  into  another.  If  it 
lose  its  place  among  existing  polities  at  any  time,  it  must  be 
by  the  annihilation  of  its  constitutive  principle,  and  thus  by 
regeneration.  They  stand  opposed,  each  against  all  the  rest, 
not  in  incidentals,  not  in  degrees  of  development,  but  in 
their  constitutive  principles.  He  dreams  who  thinks  of 
uniting  them  in  some  perpetual  Christian  union.  If  the 
Papacy  were  destroyed,  its  episcopate  would  make  it  Epis- 
copal, unless  its  episcopate  was  absorbed  in  the  Papacy,  as 
has  been  claimed  ;  in  which  case  the  abolition  of  the  Papacy 
would  make  the  Iloman  Catholic  Church  Presbyterian.  If 
the  Episcopacy  be  destroyed,  Presbyterianism  is  left  with  its 
authoritative  representation.  If  Presbyterianism  be  given 
up,  the  individual  churches  are  then  left  in  their  independence 
to  be  united  on  the  principle  of  free  fellowship.  Or  this 
process  ma}"  be  reversed.  But  only  in  one  way  or  in  the 
other  can  ecumenical  unity  be  reached. 

§  81.  Yet  each  theory  is  capable  of  exhibiting  the  unity 
of  Christ's  invisible  kingdom.  T;.is  has  been  shown.  But, 
as  we  have  seen,  the  Episcopal  and  the  Presbyterial  Theory, 
in  seeking  to  become  ecumenical  in  their  comprehension, 
will  be,  or  has  been,  obliged,  owing  to  the  modern  environ- 
ment of  liberty,  to  introduce  a  foreign  principle  into  their 
hicrhest  assemblies,  which  is  subversive  of  their  constitutive 
principles.  In  their  ecumenical  tribunals  the  national 
churches  must   at   present  meet  to  consult  and  express  an 


88  THE   CHUItCH-KIXaDOM. 

opinion,  not  to  govern.  One  act  of  authority  would 
probably  shatter  them.  If  liberty  has  come  to  stay  with 
Church  and  State,  removing  all  oj^pression,  then  these  two 
systems  will  never  be  able  to  overleap  the  barrier  of  liberty, 
so  as  to  express  consistently  the  unity  of  the  Christian 
Church.     And  their  failure  to  do  so  must  doom  them. 

The  Papal  Theory  consistently  expresses  the  ecumenical 
unity  of  its  adherents,  wherein  lies  its  great  strength.  But 
it  does  it  by  completely  suppressing  liberty,  which  it  calls 
"  the  insanity."  Its  infallible  words  are  :  "  From  this  totally 
false  notion  of  social  government,  they  fear  not  to  uphold 
that  erroneous  opinion  most  pernicious  to  the  Catholic 
Church,  and  to  the  salvation  of  souls,  which  was  called  by 
our  predecessor  Gregory  XYI  (lately  quoted)  '  the  insanity  ' 
(Ency.  13,  August,  1832),  (deliramentum),  namely,  that 
'liberty  of  conscience  and  of  worship  is  the  right  of  every 
man ;  and  that  this  right  ought,  in  every  well-governed  state, 
to  be  proclaimed  and  asserted  by  the  law,'  "  etc.^'  This  is 
the  quintessence  of  tyranny. 

The  Congregational  Theory,  in  the  fullest  exercise  of 
liberty,  can  easily  express  in  associations  of  fellowship  and 
consultation,  without  authority,  the  ecumenical  unity  of 
all  particular,  local  churches  throughout  the  world.  The 
Holy  Spirit  sent  by  the  great  Head  of  the  Church  to  take 
his  place  is  steadily  drawing  the  communion  of  saints  into 
wider  circles  of  fellowship,  and  will  not  cease  to  do  so  until 
the  prayer  of  Christ  for  unity  is  visibly  answered.  It  is  of 
the  utmost  importance,  therefore,  to  the  common  people 
which  of  these  great  church  polities  shall  prevail  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  the  rest.     For  — 

§  82.  The  relation  of  church  polity  to  civil  government 
is  most  intimate.  The  profoundest  foresight  was  shown  in 
the  maxim  of  King  James:  "No  bishop,  no  king."  The 
grandeur  of  the  Puritan  movement,  which  included  both  the 

"  Ency.  Letter,  Pius  IX,  1864,  Dec.  8.    Appleton's  Ann.  Cycl.  1864,  703. 


THE  FOUR    THEORIES  COMPARED.  89 

Presbyterians^  and  the  Congregationalists,  is  seen,  not  in 
robes  and  miters  and  triple  crowns,  not  in  hierarchies  and 
exaltation  of  the  clergy.  The  highest  grandeur  of  any  gov- 
ernment lies  in  the  good  it  does  the  people.  Measured  by 
this  standard  we  must  accord  the  greatest  glory  to  the  Puri- 
tans. The  Papacy  denies  to  the  people  all  that  is  comjjre- 
hended  under  the  term  liberty  or  freedom,  stigmatizing  it  as 
insanity.  With  it  liberty  is  a  popular  craze.  The  relation 
of  Episcopacy  to  liberty  in  the  state  is  exactly  expressed  by 
the  maxim  above  given  :  "  No  bishop,  no  king."  But  the 
relation  of  the  Puritans  to  civil  liberty  may  be  learned  from 
the  historians,  as  also  their  relations  to  religious  purity  and 
liberty.  "  That  the  English  people  became  Protestants  is 
due  to  the  Puritans."  ^^  "  As  the  priest  of  the  Established 
Church  was,  from  interest,  from  principle,  and  from  passion, 
zealous  for  the  royal  prerogatives,  the  Puritan  was  from  in- 
terest, from  principle,  and  from  passion,  hostile  to  them."  ^ 
Hume  saj^s :  "  It  was  only  during  the  next  generation  that 
the  noble  principles  of  liberty  took  root,  and  spreading  them- 
selves under  the  shelter  of  Puritanical  absurdities,  became 
fashionable  among  the  people."  ^^  Liberty,  indeed,  as  well  as 
righteousness,  was  one  of  the  "•  Puritanical  absurdities." 
Froudesays:  "  Whatever  exists  at  this  moment  in  England 
and  Scotland  of  conscientious  fear  of  doing  evil  is  the  rem- 
nant of  the  convictions  which  were  branded  by  the  Calvin- 
ists  into  the  people's  hearts."  ^  The  English  Puritans  were 
Calvinists.  The  Puritans  gave  rigliteousness  and  liberty  to 
England,  and  through  her  to  the  world.  The  greatest  glor}' 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  in  political  affairs,  the  abolition 
of  slavery,  and  the  enlargement  of  popular  liberty,  is  the 
fruit  of  the  Puritan  movement.     "  One  hundred  and  eighty 

2' As  the  Puritan  movement  was  a  reformation  of  the  Reformation  in  England,  the 
Presbyterians  here  referred  to  are  those  of  England,  ami  not  those  on  the  continent  or 
in  Scotland. 

"  Bancroft's  mst.  U.  S.,  Rd.  E'l.  (1876),  1,  224. 

so  Macaulay's  Hist.  Eng.,  i,  47,  Ed.  Phillips,  Sampson  &  Co.  (1856). 

81  Hist.  Eng.,  V,  499. 

S2  Calvinism:  an  address  delivered  at  St.  Andrews,  44. 


90  THE  CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

million  Europeans  "  have  been  raised  during  the  present  cen- 
tury, "  from  a  degraded  and  ever  dissatisfied  vassalage  to  the 
rank  of  free  and  self-governing  men."  ^  This  is  the  rising 
monument  to  the  Puritans. 

But  the  greater  share  of  this  glory  belongs  to  the  Congre- 
gational Puritans  who  went  beyond  the  Presbyterian  Puri- 
tans as  respects  liberty,  in  their  theory  of  government. 
Archbishop  Laud,  in  his  sermon  February  6,  1625-6,  at 
"Westminster,  before  Charles  I,  said:  "And  there  is  not  a 
man  that  is  for  parity  —  all  fellows  [that  is,  equals]  in  the 
Church  — ■  but  he  is  not  for  monarchy  in  the  State."  ^*  Prof. 
James  S.  Candlish,  of  the  Free  Church  College,  Glasgow, 
points  out  the  difference  between  the  Presbyterian  and  the 
Congregational  Puritans.  "  The  Presbyterians  were  anxious 
to  reform  the  Church  of  England  more  thoroughly,  but  they 
desired  still  to  retain  its  national  character.  They  would 
have  a  Church  in  alliance  with  the  State,  and  embracing  as 
far  as  possible  all  the  people,  not  only  preaching  the  gospel 
and  dispensing  the  sacraments,  but  exercising  discipline,  and 
in  all  these  functions  aided  and  supported  by  the  civil 
power."  The  Congregationalists  on  the  contrary  "  sought 
an  entire  and  unlimited  toleration."  "  Cromwell  contended 
that  godly  men  should  not  be  excluded  from  the  public  ser- 
vice because  they  would  not  take  the  Covenant."  This  posi- 
tion landed  the  Congregationalists  in  "  a  political  theocracy, 
tlie  Church  being  merged  in  the  State,  and  the  kingdom  of 
God  conceived  as  a  Christian  State."  ^  Thus  the  Congrega- 
tional Theory  emerged  as  a  Christian  State  both  in  England 
and  in  New  England ;  but  it  soon  was  forced  to  correct  its 
error  in  England  by  the  Restoration,  and  in  New  England 
by  a  slower  process.  Yet  while  thus  embarrassed  by  inher- 
ited notions  from  state  establishments,  the  influence  of  this 
theory  of  the  Church  upon  liberty  in  the  State  has  been  im- 
mense.    It  laid  the  foundations  of  this  Republic  and  may 

S3  Mackenzie's  Hist.  19th  Century,  459.  =4  Hanbury's  IHst.  Memorials,  1,476. 

'5  Cunningham  Lectures,  1884,  294-296. 


PBE8BYTERIANI8M  AND  EEPUBLICANISJU.  91 

even  claim  the  form  of  its  development.  "The  Church  was 
the  nucleus  about  which  the  neighborhood  constituting  a 
town  was  gathered."  No  institution  "has  had  more  influ- 
ence on  the  condition  and  character  of  the  people  "  than  the 
republics  called  towns,  which  for  several  generations  were 
churches  or  parishes  acting  in  civil  and  political  relations.'"^ 
The  germ  of  our  state  and  national  institutions  was  this 
town-church,  and  this  church  was  democratic  and  Congrega- 
tional. Thus  it  Avas  that  this  "government  of  the  people, 
by  the  people,  and  for  the  people,"  became  the  guiding  star 
of  all  nations  in  civil  and  religious  liberty.  "To  Robert 
Browne  belongs  the  honor  of  first  setting  forth,  in  writing, 
the  scheme  of  free  church  government."  "  Such  was  the 
commencement  of  that  great  movement  on  behalf  of  the 
independence  of  the  churches  which  has  electrified  the  globe 
and  wrought  out  the  most  stupendous  political  and  moral 
revolution  of  modern  times."  ^'  There  was  an  earlier  but 
abortive  attempt  in  Germany.  The  synod  of  Hondnu'g,  in 
1526,  gave  the  first  formal  development  of  Congregational- 
ism since  the  Reformation,'^  but  it  was  too  revolutionary  to 
suit  the  times.  No  statesman  can  omit  to  study  the  forms 
of  church  government  of  the  country  he  governs,  for  they 
have  the  closest  relations  to,  and  the  most  controlling  bearing 
upon,  the  liberties  of  that  country. 

It  has  been  said  that  "the  Presbyterian  Church  is  the  most 
republican  church,  the  most  American  church,  so  far  as  polit- 
ical institutions  can  be  assimilated  to  religious  institutions;" 
but  close  inquiry  does  not  justify  such  claim.  The  word 
republican  means  "  pertaining  to  a  republic ;  consonant  with 
the  principles  of  a  republic;  "  and  a  republic  is  "a  state  in 
which  the  sovereign  power  is  exercised  by  representatives 
elected  by  the  people."  The  particular  churches  under  the 
Presbyterian  polity  elect  their  respective  sessions  only  in 
part.       Such  sessions   are   composed  of  pastors  and  ruling 

38  Palfrey's  Hist.  New  Eng.,  ii,  n,  seq. 

"  Orthodox  Congregationalism,  Dr.  Dorus  Clarke,  39.  38  e  Cong.  Quart.,  276-280. 


92  THE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

elders.  Each  Presbyterian  church  elects  and  ordains  its 
own  ruling  elders  ;  but  its  pastor,  the  presiding  officer  of  the 
session,  must  receive  his  call  through  the  presbytery,  subject 
to  its  discretion ;  for  election  by  the  church  is  considered  as 
only  a  petition  for  installation,  and  his  acceptance  as  only 
a  request  for  installation.  Hence  the  session  is  not  wholly 
elected  by  the  people.  The  session  of  each  church  within  a 
specified  district  chooses  one  ruling  elder,  and  these  ruling 
elders  with  the  ministers  of  those  churches,  and  possibly 
other  ministers,  constitute  a  presbytery.  The  synod  is  made 
up  in  the  same  way,  but  from  a  wider  district.  But  the  gen- 
eral assembly  consists  of  an  equal  delegation  of  ministers 
and  ruling  elders  chosen  by  the  presbyteries,  in  some  speci- 
fied ratio.  Thus  the  ruling  elders  are  the  only  representa- 
tives fully  and  directly  elected  by  the  people.  Until  (juite 
recently  the  ruling  elders  were  chosen  for  life ;  and  they  are 
still  generally  so  chosen.  Hence  after  tlie  first  election  of 
the  church  session,  there  may  be  no  (jther  election  by  the 
people  for  a  full  generation,  and  then  only  to  fill  vacancies. 
This  infrequent  choice  of  ruling  elders,  and  the  choice  of 
petition  for  a  pastor,  are  all  that  the  peo})le  have  to  do  in 
"  the  most  American  church."  For  the  presbyteries  and 
synods  are  made  up  of  ruling  elders  elected  by  the  sessions, 
together  with  the  ministers.  The  presbyteries  choose  from 
themselves  the  commissioners  of  the  general  assembly. 
Thus  every  election  after  the  choice  of  the  session  is  made 
by  church  officers  from  their  own  number.  If  our  political 
institutions  were  of  this  sort,  then  the  election  of  town  and 
city  officers  generally  for  life  by  the  people  would  exhaust 
the  people's  right  and  duty.  For  the  city  and  town  officers 
would  elect  from  their  own  number  both  county  and  state 
officers ;  and  these  again  from  their  own  number  would 
choose  all  national  officers,  as  the  legislative,  the  executive, 
and  the  judicial.  From  tlie  beginning  to  the  end,  the  peo- 
ple would  liave  but  one  choice,  the  election  of  town  and  city 
officers.     Every  thing   beyond  this  initial  point  would  be 


THE  FOUR    THEORIES   COMPARED.  93 

done  by  officers  holding  generally  life  tenures,  who  would 
elect  from  themselves,  directly  or  indirectly,  county,  state, 
and  national  officials.  This  is  not  so  much  republican  as 
aristocratic  in  its  principles  and  operation. 

This  brief  statement  of  Presbyterianism,  as  given  in  its 
Form  of  Government,  does  not  justify  the  claim  that  the 
Presbyterian  Church  is  "  the  most  American  church."  It  is 
almost  wholly  a  government  of  officers  elected  for  life,  by  offi- 
cers chosen  from  among  themselves  and  by  themselves.  It 
is  not  a  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  and  for  the 
people. 

A  nearer  approach  is  found  in  Congregationalism,  as  lately 
developed  into  district,  state,  and  national  associations  of 
churches.  It  is  true  that  the  element  of  authority  is  lacking 
in  this  system,  an  element  not  Christian,  but  introduced  by 
the  union  of  church  and  state  under  Constantine.  But  this 
return  to  the  plan  of  the  apostles  does  not  deprive  Congre- 
gationalism of  its  resemblance  to  republicanism.  Congrega- 
tional churches  elect  and  install  their  own  officers,  choose 
delegates  to  ecclesiastical  councils,  to  district  and  state 
bodies,  and  to  whatever  conventions  they  may  wish  to  at- 
tend. Thus  elections  are  frequent,  and  by  the  membership, 
not  by  the  officers.  The  election  of  delegates  to  the  National 
Council  is  indirect,  as  the  election  of  United  States  senators 
is  indirect.  And  the  candidates  are  not  confined  to  officials 
but  may  include  any  member.  Here  is  a  closer  parallel 
between  civil  and  ecclesiastical  institutions,  as  is  fitting 
between  the  child  and  the  parent ;  for  our  civil  institutions 
had  their  origin  in  Congregationalism. 

§  83.  It  would  seem  hardly  necessary  to  add  that  each 
one  of  these  theories  determines  the  activities  of  its  adher- 
ents. Theological  differences  within  the  evangelical  lines 
have  some  bearing  upon  benevolences  and  labors.  A  Cal- 
vinist  and  an  Arminian  can,  however,  worship  and  work  to- 
gether, if  brought  into  the  same  church,  and  soon  forget 
their  differences  in  a  common  brotherhood.     There  is  noth- 


94  THE   CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

ing  in  church  action  to  raise  their  doctrinal  differences  into 
controlling  position.  But  it  is  not  so  in  matters  of  polity. 
A  true  Papist  can  not  fraternize  with  a  Congregationalist, 
though  both  believe  in  the  consensus  of  faith  of  all  Chris- 
tendom ;  for  every  church  act  involves  a  theory  of  the 
Church,  and  in  their  theories  they  are  at  antipodes.  It  is  so 
also  with  an  Episcopalian  and  a  Presbyterian.  Indeed,  the 
attempt  has  been  made  to  make  two  theories  standing 
nearest  together  cooperate  in  missions  at  home  and  abroad ; 
but  the  theories  were  stronger  than  utilities,  and  so  have 
drawn  them  into  separate  channels  of  activity.  It  is  not 
wholly  bigotry  that  keeps  churches  asunder  (§  45),  but 
often  adherence  to  principle.  Conscience  lies  at  the  bottom. 
Doctrine  is  not  so  much  involved  in  acts  of  worship  and 
church  action,  but  polity  is  involved,  and  hence  must  assert 
itself.  And  each  theory  of  the  Church  demands  that  church 
acts  be  in  harmony  with  itself,  and  that  all  activities  center 
in  itself. 

§  84.  The  ecclesiastical  development  indicated  by  the 
theories  presented  has  been  useful.  God's  method  is : 
"  First  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  then  the  full  corn  in  the  ear  " 
(Mark  4  :  28).  The  theories  have  been  tutors,  leading  unto 
the  truth.  They  are  experiments  needed  for  the  discovery 
and  confirmation  of  the  plan  of  Christ.  The  followers  of 
Christ  were  placed  as  children  under  the  liberty  and  unity 
of  love,  not  under  a  minute  and  inflexible  law,  as  were  the 
children  of  Israel.  Grand  determinative  principles  were 
given  to  guide  them,  not  minute  ordinances  like  those  which 
Moses  gave,  and  which  became  a  yoke  of  bondage.  In  ap- 
plying these  princijDles  mistakes  arose  which  required  centu- 
ries for  their  full  development,  as  we  have  seen,  and  which 
may  require  centuries  for  their  elimination.  This  is  the 
training  of  God's  providence  in  his  school  of  grace.  We 
may  say  of  the  theories  of  church  government,  what  has 
been  said  of  the  Christian  clergy :  "  They  came  to  be  what 
they  were  by  the  inevitable  force  of  circumstances,  that  is 


THE  FOUR    THEOBIES   COMPABED.  95 

to  say,  by  the  gradual  evolution  of  that  great  scheme  of 
God's  government  of  the  world  which,  though  present  eter- 
nally to  his  sight,  is  but  slowly  unfolded  before  ours."^  As 
in  nature  and  in  science  and  in  theology,  so  in  ecclesiology, 
there  has  been  development  through  manifold  tentative 
efforts.  "  The  type  remains,  but  it  embodies  itself  in  chang- 
ing shapes :  and  herein  the  history  of  the  Christian  churches 
has  been  in  harmony  with  all  else  that  we  know  of  God's 
government  of  the  world."  "  The  history  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  Christianity  has  been  in  reality  the  history  of  suc- 
cessive readjustments  of  form  to  altered  circumstances.  Its 
power  of  readjustment  has  been  at  once  a  mark  of  its  divin- 
ity and  a  secret  of  its  strength."  ■**^  In  these  tentative  ad- 
justments, arising  from  misconceptions  of  revealed  principles, 
but  suited  graciously  to  the  environment,  the  Church  has  at 
no  time  lost  its  power  to  bless  and  save.  Its  mission  though 
perverted  has  not  been  abandoned.  We  may  ascribe  much 
good  to  theories  of  the  Church,  while  holding  them  to  be 
abnormal  and  wrong.  "  We  are  quite  willing  to  concede," 
with  Prof.  George  P.  Fisher,  d.d.,  of  Yale  Theological  Semi- 
nary, "  that  the  Papacy  itself,  the  centralized  system  of  rule, 
which  has  been  the  fountain  of  incalculable  evils,  was  provi- 
dentially made  productive  of  important  advantages  during 
the  period  when  ignorance  and  brute  force  prevailed,  and 
when  anarchy  and  violence  constituted  the  main  peril  to 
which  civilization  was  exposed."  ^^  Any  theory,  whether 
true  or  false,  whether  respecting  the  Church  or  the  State, 
when  once  embraced  by  large  bodies  of  men,  must  work 
itself  into  its  legitimate  results ;  if  it  prove  itself  worthy,  it 
will  be  continued  ;  but  if  it  prove  itself  unworthy,  it  will  be 
rejected.  Thus  the  Church,  like  the  world,  is  in  a  state  of 
free  training  under  the  providence,  the  Word,  and  the  grace 
of  God. 

And  what   shall    be    the    outcome?      We   answer  in  the 

so  Org.  Early  Christ.  Churches,  Hatch,  163.  "  Discussions  In  mst.  and  Theol.  162. 

«''Ibiil.-212,  213. 


96  THE   CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

words  of  one  competent  to  speak,  an  adherent  of  the  Angli- 
can Church  :  "  It  would  seem  as  though,  in  that  vast  secular 
revolution  which  is  accomplishing  itself,  all  organizations, 
whether  ecclesiastical  or  civil,  must  be,  as  the  early  churches 
were,  more  or  less  democratical :  and  the  most  significant 
fact  of  modern  Christian  history  is  that,  within  the  last  hun- 
dred years,  many  millions  of  our  own  race  and  our  own 
Church,  without  departing  from  the  ancient  faith,  have 
slipped  from  beneath  the  inelastic  framework  of  the  ancient 
organization,  and  formed  a  group  of  new  societies  on  the 
basis  of  a  closer  Christian  brotherhood  and  an  almost  abso- 
lute democracy."^  We  are  working  back  to  the  original 
model :  "  In  the  first  ages  of  its  history,  while  on  the  one 
hand  it  was  a  great  and  living  faith,  so  on  the  other  hand  it 
was  a  vast  and  organized  brotherhood.  And  being  a  brother- 
hood, it  was  a  democracy."  ^^  The  bright  promise  of  the 
future  lies  in  the  words :  "  And  all  ye  are  brethren  "  (Matto 
23:  8). 

"  Hatch's  Org.  Early  Christ.  Churches,  215.  "  Ibid.  213. 


LECTURE  V. 

THE  DOCTRINE  OF   THE    CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  —  MATERIALS. 
—  CONSTITUTIVE   PRINCIPLE. 

"  But  ye  are  an  elect  race,  a  roi/al  priesthood,  a  holy  nation,  a  people  for 
Gocfs  own  possession."'  —  Sjiint  Peter. 

"  With  freedom  did  Christ  set  us  free :  stand  fast  therefore,  and  he  not 
entangled  again  in  a  yoke  of  bondage.'''  —  Saint  Paul. 

§  85.  Having  covered  the  field  of  possible  polities  in  our 
brief  survey  of  the  Christian  Church,  we  need  here  to  note 
the  chief  landmarks.  God  has  established  his  Church  to 
reveal  his  wisdom  and  grace  unto  the  world.  That  Church 
has  had  three  forms  or  models,  the  Patriarchal,  the  Ceremo- 
nial, and  the  Christian;  or,  the  family  church,  the  national 
church,  and  the  ecumenical  church.  Of  the  latter,  four  grand 
conceptions  have  been  developed  into  four  simple,  exclusive, 
ecumenical  systems.  Each  one  of  these  four  conceptions  or 
theories  we  have  reduced  to  its  constitutive  principle,  with 
its  development,  in  some  instances  mixed  with  foreign  ele- 
ments. Each  of  these  systems  is  contending  for  the 
mastery  of  Christendom.  We  have  shown  also  that  as  God 
has  not  framed  the  universe  on  discordant  plans,  but  on  one 
comprehensive  plan,  revealing  his  wisdom,  as  science  even 
now  discloses,  so  Christ  has  not  built  his  Church  on  dis- 
cordant principles,  but  on  one  comprehensive  plan,  revealing 
the  unity  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Any  other  supposition 
impeaches  his  wisdom  and  the  inspiration  of  his  apostles. 
Hence  the  question  is  forced  with  irresistible  logic  upon 
every  believer  and  every  communion  of  believers :  What  is 
the  true  theory  or  conception  of  the  Christian  Church? 

We  are  prepared  to  give  an  answer  to  this  question  with 
charity  toward  all  and  with  malice  toward  none,  since  we 
have  showni  how  closely  the  great  polities  run  together  in 


98  THE   CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

their  dominant  principles  and  how  each  polity  is  worthy  of 
the  profoundest  study.  We  trust  that  our  answer  will  not 
be  deemed  presumptuous ;  for,  if  wrong,  we  shall  not  part 
company  with  the  multitude  who  have  spoken  as  confidently 
as  we,  only  to  be  in  the  end  mistaken.  We  shall  exhibit 
fully  what  we  hold  to  be  the  doctrine  of  the  Christian  Church 
under  appropriate  heads  with  proofs. 

THE   DOCTRINE   OF    THE   CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

§  86.  Let  us  explain  terms  that  we  may  be  understood. 
We  mean  by  "  Clnistian  Church  "  the  manward  side  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  which  Christ  set  up  in  the  world  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  in  its  whole  manifestation.  The  term 
"  Church  of  God "  is  more  comprehensive,  since  it  includes 
the  three  dispensations,  which  neither  the  term  kingdom 
(§  35)  nor  the  term  Cluistian  Church  includes.  We  mean 
by  "  doctrine  "  the  principles,  facts,  and  development  which 
go  to  make  up  the  manifested  kingdom  among  men.  These 
principles  and  facts  stand  in  logical  connection  by  which  the 
development  is  shaped.  We  call  it  "  the  doctrine  "  because 
it  seems  to  us  to  be  the  principles  and  facts  given  in  the 
New  Testament  and  confirmed  by  the  institutions  of  the 
apostolic  churches  working  out  into  a  normal  system.  The 
system  is  the  only  one,  as  we  view  it,  which  those  principles 
and  facts  warrant.  Hence  it  must  be  the  doctrine  for  all 
who  accept  the  Bible  as  the  only  and  sufficient  rule  of  reli- 
gious faith  and  practice,  if  our  interpretation  be  correct. 

§  87.  But  here  arises  a  great  difticulty  in  respect  to  what 
shall  be  regarded  as  the  standard  of  faith  and  practice.  It 
is  difficult  to  argue  when  the  parties  can  not  agree  upon  any 
common  criterion  or  test  by  which  to  determine  the  value  of 
proof.  And  this  is  our  trouble  here.  Christian  communions 
do  not  agree  as  to  standards  and  their  differences  are  radical. 
"  All  communities  of  Christendom,  with  the  exception  of  the 
Socinians,  agree  that  the  divine  revelation  of  truth  is  con- 


STANDARDS   OF  BELIEF.  99 

tained  simply  and  purely  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  But  they 
differ  from  each  other  in  this:  The  Protestant  confessions 
alone  regard  the  written  volume  of  revelation  as  complete  in 
itself ;  while  all  others  either  (1)  place  in  juxtaposition  with 
Scripture  certain  coordinate  sources  of  Christian  knowledge 
and  instruction,  the  Greeks  a  so-called  tradition,  and  the 
Romanists  tradition  and  its  living,  teaching  authority,  that 
is,  the  Pope,  or  (2)  holding  the  proper  source  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  divine  things  to  be  a  direct  illumination  of  every 
individual  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  subordinate  the  Scriptures  to 
this  personal  enlightment  as  merely  its  testimon}'  (or  regula 
secundaria)  and  witness.  These  are  represented  b}-  the 
Quakers.''  ^  From  this,  and  from  the  consensus  and  dis- 
sensus  of  the  creeds,^  we  may  classify  the  standards  of  belief 
as  follows :  — 

(1)  The  Socinians  and  Rationalists  elevate  Reason  above 
Scripture,  Tradition,  Inner  Light,  and  the  Church. 

(2)  The  Quakers  elevate  the  Inner  Light  above  Reason, 
the  Scriptures,  Tradition,  and  the  Church. 

(3)  The  Anglican  Church  (generally)  elevates  the  Script- 
ures above  Reason,  the  Inner  Light,  and  Tradition,  but 
raises  the  Church  to  an  equality  with  the  Scriptures. 

(4)  The  Greek  Church  elevates  the  Scriptures  above  the 
Inner  Light  and  Reason,  but  makes  them  coordinate  with 
Tradition  and  the  (xeneral  Councils  of  the  Church. 

(5)  The  Roman  Catholic  Church  elevates  the  Scriptures 
above  Reason  and  the  Inner  Light,  but  raises  to  an  equalit}- 
with  them  Tradition  and  the  Pope. 

(»3)  The  Presbyterians,  Congregationalists,  Baptists,  Meth- 
odists, Lutherans,  and  others  elevate  the  Scriptures  above 
Reason,  Inner  Light,  Tradition,  Pope,  and  the  Church.  With 
them,  as  with  all  true  Protestants,  the  Scriptures  are  the 
only  and  sufficient  standard  of  faith,  morals,  and  polity :  for 
the  Scriptures  alone  are  inspired  and  infallible. 

'  Winer's  Confessions  of  Christenrlom,  I,  i,  37. 
=  Schaff' s  Creeds  of  Christendom,  i,  919,  seq. 


100  THE   CHUECH- KINGDOM. 

With  such  confusion  respecting  the  standards  by  which 
all  arguments  are  to  be  tested,  the  truth  of  God  both  in 
theology  and  in  polity  has  had  hard  work  to  find  acceptance. 
What  is  conclusive  with  one  has  no  weight  with  another. 
Even  Avhere  the  Scriptures  are  held  to  be  coordinate  A^dth 
tradition  or  the  living  oracle  in  the  Church,  they  are  practi- 
cally subordinate,  as  being  interpreted  by  the  other  standard 
or  standards.  Although  thus  embarrassed  by  the  number  of 
standards  of  belief,  the  truth  of  God  must  ultimately  prevail, 
until  this  article  of  the  present  consensus :  "  The  Divine 
Inspiration  and  Authority  of  the  Canonical  Scriptures  in 
matters  of  faith  and  morals,"  and,  we  add,  polity,  excludes 
all  other  standards. 

I.  —  THE   MATERIALS    OF   THE   CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

§  88.  We  mean  by  materials  those  of  whom  the  Christian 
Church  is  properly  composed  —  they  who  form  it.  And  here, 
in  order  to  completeness  and  the  understanding  of  the  case, 
we  will  consider  the  materials  of  the  family  church,  the 
Hebrew  congregation,  the  Jewish  synagogue,  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  or  Christian  Church,  and  the  local  churches  or  par- 
ticular congregations  of  believers. 

§  89.  In  the  patriarchal,  or  family,  form  of  the  Church,  the 
children  and  servants  were  members  as  well  as  the  parents 
or  heads  of  the  family.  There  was  no  separation  between 
the  pious  and  the  wicked,  except  in  rare  instances,  as  the 
expulsion  of  Cain,  the  casting  out  of  Ishmael,  the  flight  of 
Jacob,  and  similar  cases  (§  14).  The  whole  household  con- 
stituted the  material  of  this  visible  form  —  parents,  children, 
and  servants.  Even  the  seal  of  the  Abrahamic  covenant 
was  applied  to  all  males  alike  (§  11 :  1). 

§  90.  "  The  congregation,  or  assembly,  of  Israel "  is  the 
translation  of  kahal^  which  is  often  used  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. "It  describes  the  Hebrew  people  in  its  collective 
capacity  under  its  peculiar  aspect  as  a  holy  community,  held 


MATERIAL    OF    THE   CHURCH.  101 

together  by  religious  rather  than  political  Ijonds.  Sometimes 
it  is  used  in  a  broad  sense  as  inclusive  of  foreign  settlers 
(Ex.  12:  19);  but  more  properly,  as  exclusivel}-  appropriate 
to  the  Hebrew  element  of  the  population  (Num.  15 :  15). 
.  .  .  Every  circumcised  Hebrew  .  .  .  was  a  member  of  the 
congregation,  and  took  part  in  its  proceedings,  probably  from 
the  time  that  he  bore  arms.  .  .  .  Strangers  settled  in  the 
land,  if  circumcised,  were  with  certain  exceptions  (Deut  23 : 
1-8)  admitted  to  the  privileges,  and  are  spoken  of  as  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation  in  its  more  extended  application."  ^ 

Thus  the  circumcised  became  members  of  the  congrega- 
tion, assembly,  or  holy  community.  The  sign  and  seal  of 
the  covenant  of  promise,  when  applied  to  Hebrew  or  heathen 
and  to  their  children  (Gen.  17 :  10-14),  made  them  members 
of  the  national  Church.  Circumcision  was  made  a  distin- 
guishing test  of  admission.  This  external  rite  was  the  sym- 
bol, however,  of  an  internal  relation,  which  all  who  were 
communicants  did  not  possess.  Hence  the  command  to  cir- 
cumcise the  heart  (Deut.  10 :  16  ;  30 :  6),  and  the  words  of 
Paul :  "  For  he  is  not  a  Jew,  which  is  one  outwardly  ;  neither 
is  that  circumcision,  which  is  outward  in  the  flesh :  but  he  is 
a  Jew,  which  is  one  inwardly  ;  and  circumcision  is  that  of  the 
heart"  (Rom.  2:  28,  29).  The  materials  of  the  spiritual 
realm  were  not  then  identical  with  those  of  the  national 
Church;  the  boundaries  of  the  two  were  not  identical  and 
conterminous. 

§  91.  The  synagogue  grew  up  without  express  warrant 
from  the  law  or  from  a  prophet  to  meet  a  want  (§  41  :  1). 
The  assembly,  or  congregation,  of  Israel  was  divided  up  in 
sj^iagogues  into  many  congregations,  as  many  as  were  needed 
for  neighborhood  worship.  To  become  a  member  of  a  syna- 
gogue, as  of  the  congregation  of  Israel,  a  stranger  was 
required  to  adopt  the  Jewish  faith  and  ritual  and  to  be  cir- 
cumcised ;  that  is,  become  a  Jew.  Such  were  the  materials 
of  the  synagogue.     But  many  heathen,  after  the  dispersion 

•'' Congresr.ition,  Sii;irh's  Diet.  Bible,  Am.  Etl. 


102  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

of  Israel,  were  brought  by  it  into  contact  "svith  the  mono- 
theistic faith  and  worsliip,  and  became  "  half-proselytes, 
called,  'proselytes  of  the  gate,'  who  embraced  the  mono- 
theism and  Messianic  hopes  of  the  Jews  without  submitting 
to  circumcision  and  conforming  to  the  Jewish  ritual.  They 
are  called  in  the  New  Testament  religious,  devout,  God- 
fearing persons.  They  were  the  first  converts  [to  Cliris- 
tianity],  and  formed  generally  the  nucleus  of  Paul's  congre- 
gations."* Such  persons  were  in  the  process  of  becoming 
full  proselytes,  when  Christ  was  preached  to  them.  And 
"a  full  proselyte,  called  'proselyte  of  righteousness,'  was 
one  that  was  circumcised  and  in  full  communion  with  the 
synagogue."  * 

The  materials  of  the  congregation  of  Israel  in  its  compre- 
hensive sense,  as  also  when  divided  into  many  synagogue 
congregations,  were  still  further  defined  by  the  exercise  of 
excommunication.  Certain  persons  were  to  be  cut  off  from 
the  congregation  of  Israel  (Ex.  12:  19;  Num.  19:  20). 
Christ  referred  to  excommunication  from  the  synagogue 
(Luke  6 :  22 ;  John  9 :  22,  23,  34,  35).  The  third  and  last 
step  in  this  process  was  entire  exclusion,  so  that  a  man  thus 
excluded  would  be  as  a  heathen.  This  discipline  of  the 
synagogue  did  not  rest  on  the  law  of  Moses,  since  the  syna- 
gogue was  not  a  ISIosaic  institution  (§  41 :  1),  but  is  the 
natural  right  of  every  organization  that  it  may  protect  itself 
from  evil  men. 

§  92.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  composed  only  of  holy 
persons.  No  one  can  doubt  this.  Christ  taught  even  "  the 
teacher  of  Israel,"  Nicodemus,  that  "  except  a  man  be  born 
anew,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God,"  and  that  he  must 
"  be  born  of  water  and  the  spirit,"  or  "  he  cannot  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  God"  (John  3:  3,  5).  Heart  righteousness, 
and  not  ceremonial  righteousness  merely,  must  be  had,  or 
one  can  "  in  no  wise  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven " 
(Matt.  5 :    20).      The    unrighteous    shall    not    inherit   the 

*  Schaff's  ]?il)le  Diet.,  Art.  Proselyte. 


MATERIAL    OF  THE   CHURCH.  103 

kingdom  of  heaven  (1  Cor.  6:9;  Gal.  5:  19-21;  Eph. 
5 :  5).  The  materials  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  are  there- 
fore regenerate,  holy  persons,  sinners  renewed  in  the  spirit 
of  their  minds  (Eph.  4 :  23),  new  creatures  in  Christ  Jesus 
(2  Cor.  5:17;  Gal.  6 :  15). 

§  93.  The  Church  of  Christ  is  the  manifested  kingdom 
on  earth.  Hence  Christ  is  King  of  the  kingdom  and  "  Head 
of  the  Church."  The  Church  is  subject  to  Christ  as  a  wife 
to  her  husband.  "  Christ  also  loved  the  church,  and  gave  him- 
self up  for  it ;  that  he  might  sanctify  it,  having  cleansed  it 
l)y  the  washing  of  water  -with  the  word,  that  he  might  pre- 
sent the  church  to  himself  a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot 
or  wrinkle  or  any  such  tiring ;  but  that  it  should  be  holy  and 
Avithout  blemish"  (Eph.  5:  23-27).  The  Church  is  Clnist's 
body  (Col.  1:18,  24).  This  Church  can  be  none  other  than 
the  invisible,  spiritual  body  or  realm  which  is  identical  in 
membership  or  materials  with  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  above 
described ;  and  yet  not  quite  identical  in  conception  or  idea 
with  the  kingdom.  The  terms  "  the  kingdom  "  and  "  the 
Church  "  express  two  somewhat  different  views  of  the  same 
realm.  The  Christward  view  is  called  the  kingdom ;  the 
manward  view  is  called  the  Church.  That  is,  the  redeemed 
viewed  in  their  relation  to  Christ  their  king  is  the  kingdom ; 
but  the  redeemed  viewed  in  their  relation  to  men  is  the 
Church.  The  kingdom  is  the  Christward  side  of  the  Church 
and  the  Church  is  the  manward  side  of  the  kingdom.  Hence 
"  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  "  appropriately  represents  Chris- 
tianity, and  so  it  is  used  (Matt.  4 :  23  ;  9 :  35 ;  24 :  14)  ;  but 
"  the  gospel  of  the  Church  "  would  not  properly  represent  it, 
and  so  it  is  never  used. 

This  being  the  case,  the  materials  of  both  are  the  same. 
Those  who  constitute  the  kingdom  constitute  also  the  Church 
of  Cluist.  And  the  conditions  of  citizenship  in  the  kingdom 
become  the  conditions  of  membership  in  the  Church.  What 
admits  to  the  one  admits  to  the  other ;  and  what  excludes 
from  the  one  excludes  from  the  other:  for  the  one  is  the 
other,  viewed  only  in  a  different  relation. 


104  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

Tliis  church-kingdom,  by  the  laws  of  its  continuance  and 
growth,  manifests  itself  in  the  world,  and  chiefly  in  and 
through  local  churches  (§  42).  Hence  we  must  consider 
their  proper  membership. 

§  94.      The  local,  particular  church  should  be  composed 
of  believers,  or  holy  persons.     They  should  be  composed  of" 
the  same  materials  as  the  church-kingdom.     This  is  of  the 
utmost  importance,  and  hence  we  must  prove  it. 

(1)  It  is  reasonable  that  the  thing  which  manifests  should 
be  of  the  same  material  as  the  tiling  manifested.  The  king- 
dom, as  we  have  seen  (§  42),  or  the  Church,  is  chiefly 
manifested  among  men  in  and  through  local  churches,  which 
stud  Christendom  as  the  stars  bestud  the  sky.  But  if  the 
churches  be  composed  of  others  than  the  members  of  the 
kingdom,  how  can  they  manifest  forth  the  Church  of  Christ 
or  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ?  Synagogues  of  Satan  (Rev.  2 : 
9 ;  3 :  9)  can  not  represent  the  Church  of  Christ.  And  to 
the  degree  in  which  the  churches  are  mixed  bodies,  partly 
of  the  world  and  partly  of  tlie  kingdom,  they  must  fail  to 
witness  for  the  spiiitual  and  holy  Church.  How  can  a  tree 
bearing  bad  fruit  be  a  manifestation  of  a  tree  bearing  good 
fruit  ?  How  can  death  exhibit  life  ?  or  darkness  light  ?  or 
error  truth?  One  body  can  not  be  a  fit  manifestation  of 
another  body,  whether  in  whole  or  in  part,  unless  it  be  of 
the  nature,  character,  spirit,  materials  of  the  body  repre- 
sented. This  is  too  plain  for  question.  Hence  it  is  a  thing 
reasonable  and  to  be  expected  that  local  churches  should  be 
composed  of  the  same  materials  or  members  as  the  church- 
kingdom,  Avith  the  same  essential  conditions  of  admission. 

(2)  This  reasonable  presumption  is  confirmed  b}^  the  teach- 
ings of  the  New  Testament,  which  we  need  to  examine  care- 
fully. 

(a)  The  local  churches  are  addressed  as  holy  bodies.  Paul 
calls  them,  "  beloved  of  God,  called  to  be  saints  "  (Rom.  1  : 
7)  ;  "  sanctified  in  Christ  Jesus  "  (1  Cor.  1 :  2)  ;  "  the  faith- 
ful in  Christ  Jesus  ""  (Eph.  1:1);  '•'saints  and  faithful  breth- 


MATERIAL   OF  LOCAL    CHURCHES.  105 

ren  in  Christ  "  (Col.  1 :  2)  ;  "  God's  elect,  holy  and  beloved  " 
(Col.  3  :  12).  Peter  calls  them  "  living  stones,"  to  be  "built 
up  a  spiritual  house,  to  be  a  holy  priesthood,  to  offer  up 
spiritual  sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God  through  Jesus  Christ " 
(1  Pet.  2 :  5) ;  "  an  elect  race,  a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy 
nation,  a  people  for  God's  own  possession"  (1  Pet.  2:  9). 
These  and  similar  expressions  can  properly  ap})ly  only  to 
churches  whose  members  are  citizens  of  Christ's  kingdom. 

(6)  The  conditions  of  membership  indicate  that  the  local 
churches  are  viewed  as  spiritual  bodies.  We  have  seen  that 
admission  into  the  church-kingdom  requires  a  new  birth, 
repentance,  faith,  righteousness.  These  are  made  conditions 
of  admission  into  the  visible  churches.  On  the  daj-  of  Pente- 
cost, when  the  Christian  Church  was  recognized  and  inaugu- 
rated, repentance  was  required,  and  acceptance  of  the  Gospel 
(Acts  2:  38,  42),  by  such  as  "were  being  saved"  (Acts  2: 
47).  Belief  in  Christ  the  only  name  (Acts  4 :  12)  made  all 
"of  one  heart  and  soul"  (Acts  4:  32).  But  this  belief  in- 
volved a  change  of  heart,  as  is  seen  b}^  contrasting  Simon 
Magus  (Acts  8 :  13,  20-23)  with  Saul  of  Tarsus  (Acts  9 :  1, 
5,  15)  and  the  jailer  of  Philippi  (Acts  16 :  30,  31).  The 
preaching  of  the  apostles  testified,  "both  to  Jcavs  and  to 
Greeks  repentance  toward  God,  and  faith  toward  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ"  (Acts  20:  21).  Without  faith  it  is  impossible 
to  be  well-pleasing  unto  God  (Heb.  11 :  6).  These  tests, 
which  were  ever  applied,  sought  to  exclude  from  the  churches 
all  who  were  not  already  in  the  church-kingdom. 

((?)  The  initiatory  rite  required  for  admission  into  the 
visible  churches  is  symbolic  of  a  changed  life.  After  the  day 
of  Pentecost,  whoever  joined  the  churches  was  baptized  as 
the  sign  of  spiritual  cleansing.  It  had  been  enjoined  by 
Christ  himself  on  his  disciples  (Matt.  28  :  19).  Hence,  when 
the  new  dispensation  was  inaugurated,  and  thereafter,  all 
believers  were  baptized  (Acts  2:  41;  8:  12,38;  9:  18;  10: 
48,  etc.).  Baptism  did  not  renew  the  heart,  or  make  one  a 
Christian;  it  was  the  external  symbol  of  the  internal  cleans- 


106  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

ing  through  the  blood  of  Christ,  on  repentance  and  faith.  "  For 
in  one  Spirit  were  we  all  baptized  into  one  body  "  (1  Cor.  12 : 
13)  ;  being  "  buried  therefore  with  him  through  baptism  into 
death:  that  like  as  Christ  was  raised  from  the  dead;  .  .  . 
so  we  also  might  walk  in  newness  of  life  "  (Rom.  6:4;  Col. 
2 :  12).  "  For  as  many  of  you  as  were  baptized  into  Chiist 
did  put  on  Christ"  (Gal.  3:  27).  Hence  baptism  is  called 
by  Paul  "the  washing  of  regeneration,"  and  is  joined  with 
"renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost"  (Tit.  3:  5),  as  the  completed 
work  of  admission.  Ananias  said  to  Saul:  "Arise,  and  be 
baptized,  and  wash  away  thy  sins,  calling  on  his  [Christ's] 
name"  (Acts  22:  16).  But  baptism  into  the  name  of  the 
Trinity  availed  nothing  without  faith  (Acts  8 :  13,  21 ;  1 
John  2 :  19).  To  avail  any  thing,  baptism  must  be  the  sign 
of  a  new  creation  (Gal.  6 :  15). 

(d)  These  conditions  imply  a  creed,  some  rule  of  faith; 
and  there  are  hints  of  such  creed  other  than  those  given  in 
the  preceding  conditions  of  membership.  The  central  article 
of  this  creed  was,  and  is,  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Lamb 
of  God,  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.  Hence  "  the 
churches  were  strengthened  in  the  faith  "  (Acts  16  :  5).  Paul 
was  heard  "  concerning  the  faith  in  Christ  Jesus  "  (Acts  24 : 
24).  The  baptismal  formula  was,  and  is,  a  creed  in  itself,  the 
norm  of  the  Apostles'  Creed  and  of  all  others.  But  there 
were  added  to  it  "  the  pattern  of  sound  words  "  (2  Tim.  1 : 
13),  wliich  were  received  as  axioms  of  the  faith  from  the 
apostle. 

(e)  To  all  these,  as  the  conclusive  proof  of  the  identity  in 
materials  of  the  local  churches  with  the  church-kingdom, 
was  added  the  power  of  church  discipline.  Judas  Iscariot 
had  gone  "  to  his  own  place  "  (Acts  1 :  25)  before  the  Clu'is- 
tian  Church  was  inaugurated.  But  the  sharpness  of  this 
discipline  was  shown  when  Ananias  and  Sapphira  lied  to  God 
the  Holy  Ghost  (Acts  5 :  1-11).  This  was  a  miraculous  in- 
terposition ;  but  the  ordinary  procedure  is  given  by  the  Head 
of  the  Church  (Matt.  18  :  15-18).      Fellowship  was  not  to 


MATEBIAL    OF  LOCAL   CHURCHES.  107 

be  held  with  fornicators,  covetous  persons,  idolaters,  revilerSy 
drunkards,  extortioners,  and  the  like,  no,  not  to  eat  (1  Cor. 
5 :  11).  The  Church  was  commanded  to  put  away  an  incestu- 
ous man  (1  Cor.  5 :  13).  Departures  from  the  word  are  to 
be  treated  in  the  same  way  (2  Thess.  3 :  14,  15),  and  greet- 
ings are  to  be  withheld  from  errorists  (2  John  10,  11).  All 
such  go  out  from  the  churches  because  they  are  not  of  the 
church-kingdom  (1  John  2  :  19). 

(/)  There  was  a  wide  difference,  then,  between  a  church 
and  its  congregation.  The  local  church  was  a  body  of  believ- 
ers, of  redeemed  saints ;  but  the  congregation  was  a  mixed 
body  of  believers  and  unbelievers  (1  Cor.  14:  23).  Men 
were  not  made  church  members,  except  on  conditions  which 
involved  a  renewed  life,  and  which  separated  them  from  the 
rest  of  mankind.  A  church  was  unlike  any  other  organiza- 
tion that  appeared  among  men :  for  it  was  a  spiritual  body, 
composed  of  saints,  into  which  no  unrenewed  persons  could 
properly  be  admitted.  Hence  each  church  was  composed,  on 
Scriptural  grounds,  of  the  same  sort  of  persons  or  materials 
as  the  church-kingdom. 

(3)  This  position  is  conhi*med  by  the  attitude  of  the  apos- 
tolic churches.  "The  Teaching  of  the  Twelve  Apostles," 
recently  discovered,  carries  us  back  near  to  the  year  of  our 
Lord  100,  and  gives  as  the  law  of  the  churches  this  rule : 
"  And  let  no  one  eat  nor  di-ink  of  your  Eucharist,  but  those 
who  have  been  baptized  into  the  name  of  the  Lord."  ^  Clem- 
ent Romanus  (a.d.  30-100),  in  writing  to  the  church  in  Cor- 
inth, addressed  it  as  "called  and  sanctified  by  the  will  of 
God,  tlirough  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  And  the  church  of 
Smyrna,  which  first  used  the  term  "holy  and  catholic," 
speaks  "  of  all  the  congregations  of  the  holy  and  catholic 
church  in  eveiy  place."  ^  Justin  Martyr  (a.d.  110-165) 
says :  "  As  many  as  are  persuaded  and  believe  that  what  we 
teach  and  say  is  true,  and  undertake  to  live  accordingly,  are 
instructed  to  pray  and  to  entreat  God  with  fasting,  for  the 
remission   of   their  sins   that  are  past.  .  .  .  Then  they  are 

^  Chap.  ix.  «  Ep.  on  Martyrdom  of  Polycarp. 


108  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

^^vo\\g\\t  by  us  where  there  is  water,  and  they  are  regenerated 
in  the  same  manner  in  which  we  were  ourselves  regenerated,"  ' 
that  is,  baptized.  The  early  churches  also  cast  out  heretics 
and  immoral  men.'^ 

Hence  Hatch  says :  "  In  the  earliest  period,  the  basis  of 
Christian  fellowship  was  a  changed  life  — '  repentance  toward 
God  and  faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.'  ...  In  the 
second  period,  the  idea  of  a  definite  belief  as  a  basis  of  union 
dominated  over  that  of  a  holy  life.  ...  In  the  third  period, 
insistence  on  Catholic  faith  had  led  to  the  insistence  on 
Catholic  order."  ^  The  churches  started  on  the  theory  of  a 
holy  membership,  tested  by  a  changed  life. 

§  95.  The  inability  fully  to  attain  that  absolute  purity  in 
local  churches  which  exists  in  the  church-kingdom  does  not 
invalidate  this  argument  drawn  from  reason,  from  the  New 
Testament,  and  from  the  primitive  churches,  that  only  regen- 
erate persons,  those  born  anew,  are  proper  members  of  local 
churches  because  only  such  are  members  of  the  church- 
kingdom.  Only  those  who  have  the  life  of  Christ  in  the 
heart  are  the  materials  of  Christian  churches.  All  others 
are  foreigners.  Those  only  who  are  of  faith  belong  to  the 
household  of  faith  (1  John  2:  19).  None  others  can  ration- 
ally, Scripturally,  and  historically  l)e  admitted,  though  the 
standard  be  often  unattainable. 

Nor  does  infant  circumcision  and  infant  baf)tism  invalidate 
this  argument  in  either  of  the  tliree  dispensations.  The  one 
was  commanded  in  the  patriarchal  and  ceremonial  dispensa- 
tions as  the  seal  of  the  covenant ;  the  other  is  implied  in  the 
Christian  dispensation  by  the  continuance  of  the  covenant 
(Gal.  3 :  17,  29),  by  baptism  being  substituted  for  circum- 
cision (Col.  2 :  11, 12),  by  the  words  of  Christ  respecting  chil- 
dren :  "  Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven  "  (Matt.  19 :  14), 
and  by  the  words  of  Paul  (1  Cor.  7 :  14),  This,  however, 
will  be  more  fully  discussed  hereafter.       (§§  149-153.) 

§  96.     This    discussion    regarding    the   materials    of    the 

^  Apol.  i,  cli.  Ixi.  8  Canons  of  Church  of  Alexandria. 

'■>  Org.  Early  Christ.  Chhs.  182-184. 


MATEBIAL    OF  LOCAL    CHURCHES.  109 

Church  reveals  a  gradual  development  which  we  do  well  to 
note.  There  was  in  the  family  form  the  slightest  possible 
separation  between  the  saint  and  the  sinner.  Under  the 
national  form  there  was  a  clear  separation  between  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  and  all  other  peoples,  which  hardened  into 
a  contempt  for  all  Gentiles.  But  within  the  national  fellow- 
ship, the  contrast  between  the  faithful  Israelite  and  the 
unfaithful  became  more  clearly  marked  than  under  the  pre- 
ceding dispensation.  Certain  men  were  to  be  cut  off  from  the 
congregation  as  incorrigible.  The  prophets  too  denounced 
sins  and  wicked  Israelites  in  unmeasured  terms,  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord.  And  about  the  time  the  prophets  ceased,  the 
synagogue  arose  and  spread  every-where  with  its  social  wor- 
ship conducted  by  laymen.  This  worship  cultivated  the 
piety  of  the  true  Israelite,  but  hardened  the  worship  of  the 
undevout  Jew  into  the  hollow  formalism  of  the  Pharisees, 
which  Christ  with  his  w^oes  could  not  break.  There  was 
a  still  further  separation,  which  went  on,  until  the  winnoAving- 
fan  of  Christ  completely  separated  the  wheat  from  the  chaff. 
Then  arose  the  kingdom  of  heaven  with  its  organic  manifes- 
tations, the  local  churches,  whose  members  are  renewed  sin- 
ners, the  same  as  the  members  of  the  church-kingdom.  Thus 
the  life  of  God  in  the  hearts  of  men  has  unfolded  in  more 
distinctive  and  characteristic  forms,  until  it  appears  at  last 
in  visible  bodies  expressive  of  its  holy  nature.  These  bodies 
are  called  churches,  formed,  when  normally  formed,  of  the 
same  materials  as  the  church-kingdom. 

Here  arises  the  greatest  question  in  church  polity,  because 
it  dominates  all  others :  — 


II.  —  THE   RELATION   OF   ONE   LOCAL   CHURCH    TO    OTHER 
LOCAL  CHURCHES. 

§  97.  It  is  manifest  that  if  local  churches  are  composed 
of  the  same  materials  as  the  church-kingdom,  they  must  be 
spiritually  one,  as  the  church-kingdom  is  one.     They  are  all 


110  THE   CHUBCH-KIXCWOM. 

branches  of  the  same  Vine,  househokls  of  the  same  realm, 
members  of  the  same  body.  They  possess,  how  much  soever 
they  may  fail  to  exhil)it  it,  unity  in  the  following  respects : 
(1)  unity  of  headship,  "one  Lord";  (2)  unity  of  belief, 
"  one  faith  "  ;  (3)  unity  of  sacraments,  "  one  baptism  "  ;  (4) 
unity  of  confidence,  "  one  hope  of  their  calling  "  ;  (5)  "  unity 
of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace  " ;  (6)  unity  of  comprehen- 
sion, "  one  body  "  ;  (7)  unity  of  government,  "  one  God  " ; 
(8)  unity  of  creed,  "  unity  of  the  faith,  and  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Son  of  God  " ;  (9)  unity  of  brotherhood,  "  one 
God  and  Father  of  all,  who  is  over  all,  and  tlu'ough  all,  and 
in  all"  (Eph.  4:  4-6,13). 

This  spiritual  unity  can  not  be  broken,  whatever  the  rela- 
tion of  one  church  to  another.  It  is  indivisible,  because  the 
church-kingdom  is  indivisible  (§  32 :  2).  Those  that  leave 
it,  if  any  ever  do,  apostatize,  and  become  forever  separated 
from  Christ  the  Head  and  from  his  body.  Hence  every  local 
church  is  sjiiritually  one  with  every  other  similar  church. 
There  never  lias  been,  is  not  now,  and  never  can  be,  a  divi- 
sion Ijetween  them  spiritually.  Springing  from  the  church- 
kingdom,  they  all  are  one. 

§  98.  But  in  consequence  of  this  spiritual  unity  they  are 
in  their  relation  one  to  another  independent.  Each  one  sus- 
tains exactly  the  same  relation  as  the  rest  to  the  underlying 
church-kingdom,  out  of  which  they  equally  spring,  and  of 
which  they  are  equally  the  manifestations  in  organic  form. 
No  matter  who  planted  them,  or  how  they  came  into  being, 
or  what  their  creed  or  ritual  or  government ;  if  churches  of 
Christ  at  all,  and  not  synagogues  of  Satan,  they  are  equal 
and  independent.  For  they  become  churches  neither  by  his- 
torical connection,  nor  1)y  form  of  government,  nor  by  mode 
of  worship,  nor  by  doctrinal  statement ;  but  by  possessing 
the  life  hid  with  Christ  in  God,  by  being  integral  parts  of  the 
church-kingdom,  by  having  as  members  converted  and,  there- 
fore, holy  men.  God  alone  gives  the  increase.  His  Spirit 
renews.     Hence  a  church,  being  composed  of  renewed  men,  is 


INDEPENDENCE   OF  LOCAL   CHURCHES.  Ill 

born  not  merely  by  the  will  of  man  but  by  the  grace  of  God. 
There  is  a  human  element,  which  is  superficial ;  the  divine 
element  is  fundamental,  and  makes  the  renewed  congregation 
a  church. 

Hence  each  church  standing  in  the  same  relation  to  Jesus 
and  his  church-kingdom  as  the  rest  must  stand  in  essen- 
tial equality  with  all  the  rest,  subject  to  no  one  of  them. 
No  one  has  the  right  or  authority  to  lord  it  over  another. 
A  large  church,  or  a  mother  church,  or  a  metropolitan  church, 
possesses  no  peculiar  or  superior  rights  and  powers.  The 
natural  relation  of  church  to  church,  in  such  a  church-king- 
dom, is  that  of  independence  as  respects  control,  and  brother- 
hood as  respects  fellowship  and  labor.  One  is  equal  to 
another,  and  independent  of  another,  but  subject  to  Christ 
the  Head. 

§  99.  The  Christian  rule  of  discipline  rests  upon  this 
independence  of  each  church.  This  rule  was  given  by  the 
Master,  taken,  it  may  be,  from  the  synagogue,  but  made  by 
liis  command  the  law  of  Christian  churches.  We  shall  use 
only  so  much  of  the  rule  at  present  as  bears  on  the  relation 
of  church  to  church.  Christ  said  respecting  the  one  under 
discipline :  "  And  if  he  refuse  to  hear  the  church  also, 
let  him  be  unto  thee  as  the  Gentile  and  the  publican  "  (Matt. 
18:  17). 

(1)  The  church  here  meant  is  the  local  church,  or  congre- 
gation of  believers,  to  which  the  offender  belongs. 

(a)  It  is  true  no  local  church  then  existed ;  and  it  is 
equally  true  that  the  process  of  gathering  an  ecdesia,  or  con- 
gregation of  believers  in  Jesus,  out  of  the  kahal,  or  congrega- 
tion of  Israel,  had  not  yet  been  completed,  and  was  not  com- 
pleted until  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  the  followers  of 
Jesus  were  divinely  recognized  as  the  true  Church  or  congre- 
gation, to  join  which  thereafter  all  had  to  l)e  baptized  (§  39). 
While  the  winnowing-fan  was  in  the  hand  of  the  Thresher, 
and  the  wheat  had  not  been  separated  from  the  chaff,  it  is 
not  })robable  that  Christ  regarded  those  then  professing  to  be 


112  THE    CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

his  disciples  as  the  ecdesia  to  which  he  committed  the  matter 
of  discipline.  All  Christ's  teachings  looked  forward  to  the 
establishment  of  his  kingdom,  unless  this  ride  is  an  excep- 
tion. That  it  is  not  is  evident  from  what  he  said  of  his 
church  in  Matt.  16 :  18. 

(5)  It  has  also  been  said  that  "  church ''  here  means  the 
Jewish  synagogue.  But  Christ  was  a  lawgiver  like  unto 
Moses,  legislating  for  a  new  dispensation  as  Moses  did,  and 
the  case  must  be  desperate  indeed  that  would  confine  his  laAv 
of  discipline  to  a  dispensation  which  he  came  to  fulfill  and 
supersede  in  about  a  year. 

((?)  If  Jesus  added  this  rule  of  discipline  to  the  Mosaic 
law,  then  that  law  has  not  been  abolished  as  Paul  taught 
(Eph.  2:  15;   Col.  2:  11). 

(i)  His  rule  of  discipline  was  given  for  his  churches,  and 
for  them  alone.  Each  local  church  deals  with  its  own  delin- 
quents. The  words,  "  tell  it  unto  the  church,"  can  not  refer 
to  the  Church  universal ;  for  it  never  meets.  They  do  not 
refer  to  a  national  or  provincial  church  organization,  for  each 
synagogue  completed  its  own  discipline;  and,  besides,  if 
Christ  enlarged  the  synagogue  rule  which  he  adopts,  the 
steps  by  which  appeals  might  be  taken  ought  to  have  been 
given.  The  word  can  not  refer  to  ecclesiastical  rulers,  but  it 
refers  to  the  particular  local  church.  If  such  a  church  choose 
a  church  board  for  discipline,  subject  to  itself,  the  church 
acts  through  that  board.  The  power  lies  in  the  church  that 
appoints,  not  in  the  elders  or  stewards  or  council.  Christ 
did  not  make  elders  or  other  officers  the  church,  but  instead 
the  congregation  of  believers. 

The  apostles  so  understood  the  word  church.  Paul  required 
the  church  to  excommunicate  a  man  (1  Cor.  5 :  4,  5,  13), 
which  it  did  by  majority  vote  (2  Cor.  2:6).  This  was  in 
A.D.  57  or  58.  John,  a.d.  96  or  100,  did  not  cast  out,  but 
depended  upon  the  church  to  act  when  he  should  be  present 
(3  John  9,  10).  The  church  at  Corinth  deposed  faithful 
elders,^o  ^hich  involved  the   power  of   discipline;   and  the 

i"  Clement  Romanus,  Ep.  Cor.  xliv.  .  ^ 


INDEPENDENCE   OF  LOCAL    CHUBCHES.  113 

church  light  is  not  questioned,  but  the  church  is  urged  to 
"hve  on  terms  of  peace  with  the  presbyters  set  over  it."^^ 
"  In  earlier  days  each  separate  case  came  for  judgment  before 
the  whole  church/'  ^~  It  seems  impossible  to  escape  the  con- 
clusion that  Christ  in  his  law  of  discipline  had  reference  tc 
the  local  church,  however  small  that  church  might  be. 

(2)  The  discipline  of  the  local  church  is  final.  There  is 
no  intervening  tribunal  or  court  between  the  first  and  last 
step,  and  no  a})peal  from  the  vote  of  expulsion.  There  is  no 
passage  in  the  New  Testament  which  impairs  this  conclusion 
by  intimating  some  farther  process.  The  Master  made  the 
action  of  the  local  church  in  the  discipline  of  its  members 
final. 

(3)  This  finality  is  confirmed  by  what  Christ  says  of 
"  binding  "  and  "  loosing."  His  words  are  :  "  Verily  I  say 
unto  you.  What  things  soever  ye  shall  bind  on  earth  shall  be 
bound  in  heaven :  and  what  things  soever  ye  shall  loose  on 
earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven  "  (Matt.  18  :  18).  He  applied 
the  same  words  to  Peter  (Matt.  16 :  19),  and  stronger  words 
to  the  apostles  (John  20:  23).  The  words  "to  bind"  and 
"  to  loose  "  were  common  among  the  rabbis  ;  and  "  to  bind  " 
meant  to  forbid  or  prohibit,  and  "to  loose"  to  permit  or 
allow.  Some  would  confine  the  authority  conferred  in  them 
to  the  apostles,  while  others  would  carry  it  over  to  the 
churches  also.  So  also  there  is  question  whether  legislative 
or  judicial  authority  is  meant,  or  both  together.  But  which- 
ever interpretation  be  the  correct  one  the  finality  of  the 
action  of  the  local  church  in  discipline  is  equally  assured. 
If  Christ  ratifies  therein  the  acts  of  local  churches  in  disci- 
pline, then  no  appeal  can  be  taken  from  such  action  to  eccle- 
siastical tribunals.  When  the  king  promises  to  ratify  the 
decisions  of  a  specified  tribunal,  all  other  appeals  are  ex- 
cluded. If  our  Lord  addressed  these  words  to  the  apostles 
alone,  then  their  connection  shows  that  the  authority  con- 

"  Clement  Hoiiiaiius,  Ep.  Cor.  liv. 

12  Hatch's  Org.  Early  Christ  Chhs.  100. 


114  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

ferred,  whether  legislative  or  judicial,  or  both,  could  not  be 
used  by  them  to  set  aside  this  law  of  discipline  which  he  had 
just  given.  This  rule  would  stand  in  full  force  to  guide 
them,  as  it  did  in  fact  guide  them.  Peter  acknowledged  the 
power  of  a  local  church  to  call  him  to  account  for  his  conduct 
in  the  case  of  the  Roman  Cornelius  (Acts  11 :  1-18)  ;  and 
Paul  laid  the  duty  of  excommunication  upon  the  local  church 
(1  Cor.  5 :  4,  5,  13).  Whatever  view  we  take,  therefore,  of 
binding  and  loosing,  the  independence  and  completeness  of 
the  local  church  in  matters  of  discipline  must  stand ;  for  we 
can  not  believe  that  after  giving  a  rule  of  discipline  Christ 
immediately  gave  his  apostles  authority  to  annul  it,  or  to  add 
to  it.  Whether  spoken  to  the  local  church,  as  the  connection 
implies,  or  to  the  ajjostles  alone,  the  promise  of  ratification 
makes  the  discipline  of  the  local  church  final. 

Thus  the  Christian  rule  of  discipline  is  founded  upon  the 
independence  of  each  local  church,  as  respects  other  local 
churches,  whose  action  is  final  and  supreme. 

§  100.  The  election  of  church  officers  is  also  founded 
upon  the  same  principle,  namely,  the  independence  under 
Christ  of  each  local  church.  Of  this  we  shall  speak  particu- 
larly. 

(1)  When  the  place  of  Judas  Iscariot  was  to  be  filled,  the 
eleven  faithful  apostles  did  not  presume,  in  the  exercise  of 
their  power  of  the  keys,  to  choose  his  successor.  They 
referred  the  election  to  the  company  of  believers  in  Jerusalem, 
the  one  hundred  and  twenty,  the  Christian  ecclesia,  winnowed 
out  of  the  kahal,  or  congregation,  of  Israel.  They  "  put  for- 
ward two  "  ;  then  "  cast  lots,"  which  one  should  be  an  apostle. 
"  And  the  lot  fell  upon  Matthias ;  and  he  was  numbered  ■\^dth 
the  eleven  apostles"  (Acts  1:  23-26).  "It  is  uncertain 
whether  this  putting  forward  two  was  the  act  of  the  apostles, 
presenting  the  two  men  to  the  choice  of  the  whole  body  of 
disciples,  or  of  the  community  choosing  them  for  ultimate 
decision  by  lot.  The  Greek  word  implies  that  Matthias 
was  '  voted  in,'  the  suffrages  of  the  church  unanimously  con- 


INDEPENDENCE   OF  LOCAL   CHURCHES.  115 

fh-minof  the  indications  of  the  divine  will  which  had  been 
given  by  the  lot"  (Plumptre).  "All  those  assembled  'put 
forward  two ' "  (Meyer).  In  the  most  important  election 
ever  lield  in  the  Christian  Church,  then  one  local  body,  the 
whole  assembly  participated.  The  use  of  the  lot  carried  the 
final  choice  between  the  two  up  to  God.  The  apostles  onlj- 
superintended  the  election,  giving  the  needed  qualifications, 
and  praying  before  the  casting  of  the  lots  (Acts  1 :  21,  22, 
24,  25).  This  was  an  election  to  the  apostolate  recognized  as 
valid  after  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  mention  of 
"  the  twelve  "  (Acts  6 :  2)  ;  and  it  was  not  set  aside  or  super- 
seded by  the  subseciuent  call  of  Paul  as  the  apostle  to  the 
Gentiles  (Acts  9:  15). 

(2)  The  election  of  seven  assistants  of  the  apostles  on  the 
occasion  of  the  first  dissension  in  the  Church  was  expressly 
by  "the  multitude  of  the  disciples"  (Acts  6:  1-6).  The 
multitude  chose  the  men  to  serve  (or  deacon)  tables,  judging 
of  their  qualifications,  "  whom  they  set  before  the  apostles  : 
and  when  they  had  prayed  the}-  laid  their  hands  on  them." 
This  ofiice  grave  rise  to  the  order  of  deacons  in  Christian 
churches  (Phil.  1:1).  Their  ordination  by  the  apostles  did 
not  involve  the  power  of  confirmation  or  ratification  on  the 
part  of  the  apostles. 

(3)  When  the  church-kingdom  had  extended  and  appeared 
in  many  local  churches,  the  churches  held  intercommunion 
by  delegates,  as  the  kahal,  or  congregation,  of  the  old  dis- 
pensation had  been  dispersed  into  all  nations  and  appeared 
in  local  synagogues  with  connuunication  between  them.  A 
messenger  Avas  "  chosen  of  the  churches  to  travel  with  Paul " 
vtdth  contributions  for  the  poor  saints  in  Judaea  (2  Cor.  8 : 
19).  It  was  ])y  church  action,  on  command  by  the  Spirit, 
that  Paul  and  Barnabas  were  sent  on  their  first  missionary 
tour  (Acts  13:  1-3).  These  first  missionaries  were  in  fact 
a  deputation  from  the  church  in  Antioch.  It  was  the  same 
church  that  "  appointed  that  Paul  and  Barnabas,  and  certain 
other  of  them,  should  go  up  to  Jerusalem  unto  the  apostles 


116  THE   CHUBCH-  KIXGDOM. 

and  elders "  (Acts  15 :  2),  to  consult  them  about  the  ques- 
tion of"  circumcision.  These  messengers  were  chosen  by  the 
churches,  not  b}^  the  apostles,  as  bodies  independent  one  of 
another  in  matters  of  control. 

(4)  There  is  no  account  of  the  election  or  appointment 
of  elders  in  the  churches.  They  Avere  the  same  in  the  primi- 
tive churches  as  bishops,  presbyters,  pastors  (§  118  :  4).  They 
are  first  mentioned  as  receiving  contributions  from  the  hand 
of  Barnabas  and  Saul  (Acts  11 :  30)  ;  then  it  is  said :  "  And 
when  they  had  appointed  for  them  elders  in  every  city" 
(Acts  14:  23).  Thus  these  officers  first  appear  in  the 
churches,  "instituted  after  the  manner  of  the  synagogue"; 
"  but  certainly  the  presbyters  (Acts  11 :  30),  as  elsewhere 
(Acts  14 :  23),  so  also  in  Jerusalem  (Acts  15 :  22 ;  21 :  18), 
were  chosen  by  the  church,  and  apostolically  installed" 
(Meyer).  "  The  word  for  '  appointed  '  certainly  seems  to 
imply  popular  election  (election  by  show  of  hands),  which 
is,  indeed,  the  natural  meaning  of  the  word"  (Plumptre). 
"  They  were  appointed  by  taking  the  vote  of  the  people,  the 
apostles  merely  presiding  over  the  choice  "  (Schaff,  Banner- 
man,  Alford,  Lange,  Stanley).  Later,  the  custom  by  which 
""  church  officers  were  freely  chosen  by  the  several  communi- 
ties from  their  adult  members,"  was  changed.^^  Others,  how- 
ever, hold  that  elders  were  at  first  appointed  by  the  apostles 
(Hackett). 

We  see,  then,  that  local  churches,  in  the  exercise  of  their 
right  arising  from  their  relation  to  the  church-kingdom, 
elected  their  own  officers  and  messengers.  The  action  of 
each  was  complete  in  itself  without  reference  to  any  other 
church.  Or  if  any  superintendency  or  confirmation  were  re- 
quired in  ordination,  it  was  found  only  in  the  functions  of  the 
apostles,  which,  as  we  shall  show,  ceased  at  their  death. 

§  101.  If  we  turn  from  internal  discipline  and  the  election 
of  church  officers  to  the  relation  of  one  church  to  another,  we 
find  marks  of  their  individual  independence.     The  primitive 

"  Hatch's  Org.  Early  Christ.  Chhs.  202. 


INDEPENDENCE   OF  LOCAL    CHURCHES.  117 

churches  had  constant  intercourse  one  with  another.  Com- 
mendatory letters  were  given  (Acts  18  :  27  ;  2  Cor.  3  :  1,  2)  ; 
messengers  were  sent  fnmi  one  to  another  (Acts  15  :  2)  ;  the 
distress  of  churches  in  one  country  was  reheved  by  the  gifts 
of  foreign  churches  (Acts  11 :  29,  30  ;  1  Cor.  10  :  1-3  ;  Rom. 
15 :  26) ;  and  epistles  sent  to  one  church  were  requested  to 
be  forwarded  to  another  (Col.  4 :  1(3).  "  The  seven  churches, 
addressed  in  the  seven  epistles  (Rev.  2 ;  3),  are  presented  as 
distinct  from  each  other.  No  sign  of  common  government 
is  visible ;  no  other  bonds  of  union  amongst  the  churches  can 
be  recognized  than  the  interchange  of  common  spiritual  sym- 
pathies and  subjection  to  a  common  divine  law."  ^* 

There  is  no  intimation  in  the  New  Testament  that  one 
church  was  subordinate  to  another ;  but  on  the  contrary 
each  church  managed  its  own  discipline,  elected  its  ovni 
officers,  and  conducted  all  its  intercourse  with  other  churches 
as  an  inde})endent  body,  not  subject  to  the  supervision  or 
control  of  any  other  church. 

§  102.  And  this  is  what  we  should  expect  l)oth  from  the 
relation  of  the  churches  to  the  church-kingdom  and  from 
their  model,  the  Jewish  synagogue.  Nearly  every  town  and 
city  where  the  apostles  preached  had  one  or  more  synagogues. 
The  separation  of  Christians  from  these  synagogues  was 
gradual.  In  these  synagogues  were  "  rulers  "  of  the  syna- 
gogue. "They  formed  the  local  Sanhedi-in,  or  tribunal. 
But  their  election  depended  on  the  choice  of  the  congrega- 
tion." ^°  "  The  supreme  official,  like  the  two  other  members 
of  the  local  court"  in  each  synagogue  was  elected.  "His 
election  entirely  depended  upon  the  suffrages  of  the  members 
of  the  synagogue."  The  three  almoners  "had  to  be  elected 
by  the  unanimous  voice  of  the  people."  ^^  Synagogues  had 
power  to  inflict  corporal  punishment,  and  to  excommunicate, 
as  we  have  seen.     They  were  also  independent  one  of  au- 

"  Ecclesla;  Church  Problems,  etc.  12. 

15  Life  and  Times  of  .Jesu.s,  by  Dr.  A.  Edersheim,  i,  438. 

10  Bil).  Theol.  ami  Keel.  Cycl.,  Art.  SynagOfrue. 


118  THE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

other  in  the  management  of  their  affairs.  "■  Each  synagogue 
formed  an  independent  republic,  but  kept  uj)  a  reguhir  cor- 
respondence with  other  synagogues."  ^''  "  At  Alexantbia, 
where  the  state  gave  the  Jewish  colony  exceptional  privi- 
leges, the  "separate  synagogues  seem  to  have  been  all  subject 
to  the  ethnarch ;  but  at  Rome  and  elsewhere  there  are  no 
signs  of  their  having  been  linked  together  by  any  stronger 
tie  than  the  fellowship  of  a  common  creed  and  a  common 
isolation  from  the  Gentiles."  ^^  In  so  far  then  as  the  churches 
were  modeled  after  the  synagogue,  they  were  independent 
one  of  another. 

§  103.  If  we  turn  to  the  meager  record  of  the  churches  given 
by  the  Apostolic  Fathers,  Ave  find  nothing  to  contradict  the  in- 
dependence of  the  local  churches  one  of  another,  but  every 
thing  to  confirm  it.  ''  The  church  of  God  which  sojourns  at 
Rome,"  near  the  close  of  the  first  century  addressed  a  letter 
to  "  the  church  of  God  sojourning  at  Corinth,"  as  one  equal 
addresses  another  equal.  In  it  the  church  in  Corinth  is  re- 
proved for  deposing  "  some  men  of  excellent  behaviour  from 
the  ministry."  ^^  There  is  no  intimation  of  redress  by  appeal 
to  any  man,  church,  or  synod ;  nor  is  there  any  assumption 
of  authority  on  the  part  of  the  church  at  Rome  to  correct  the 
wrong.  So  also  when  the  church  at  Philippi  deposed  the 
presbyter  Valens  from  the  ministry,  Polycarp,  in  his  letter  to 
the  church,  approves  the  act,  but  grieves  for  the  need  of  such 
discipline.-*'  Clement  Romanus  refers  also  to  majority  action 
of  a  church,  and  to  presbytei'S  appointed  by  the  apostles 
"  with  the  consent  of  the  whole  Church."  ^^ 

Thus  the  independence  of  the  local  churches  one  of 
another,  which  is  logically  deducible  as  the  only  normal 
relation  of  church  to  church,  is  confirmed  by  the  uniform 
teachings  of  the  New  Testament,  the  development  of  the 
churches  from  the  Jewish  synagogues,  and  the  intimations 

1"  Hist.  Christ.  Ch.,  Schaff,  i,  4.58.  "-'>  Ep.  Phil.  xl. 

i«  Hatch's  Org.  Early  Christ.  Chhs.  59.  21  Ep.  i,  44,  54. 

^^  Clement  Romanus,  Ep.  Cor.  i,  44. 


INDEPENDENCE   OF  LOCAL    CHUBCHES.  119 

of  the  Apostolic  Fathers.  Each  church,  as  thus  independ- 
ent, completes  the  discipline  of  its  members,  elects  its  own 
officers  and  messengers,  and  manages  its  external  relations. 
Among  themselves  all  were  equal  and  independent,  as  the 
towns  in  a  commonwealth.  But  this  independence  may  be 
conceded,  and  yet  it  may  at  the  same  time  be  held  that  each 
and  all,  while  managing  their  own  affairs  as  regards  one 
another,  are  still  sul)ject  to  some  centralized  authority.  We 
have  therefore  a  further  question  to  consider  before  we  leave 
the  independence  of  the  local  churches. 


in.  —  WERE    THE    PRIMITIVE    CHURCHES     SUBORDINATE    TO 
ANY    CENTRALIZED   ECCLESIASTICAL  AUTHORITY  ? 

Tliis  is  by  no  means  the  same  question  as  that  which  we 
have  been  considering.  One  church  may  be  independent  of 
another,  or  of  all  others  taken  singly,  and  yet  be  subject 
to  them  taken  collectively,  or  to  an  order  in  the  ministry,  or 
to  a  primate,  in  which  case  either  Presbyterianism,  or  Epis- 
copacy, or  the  Papacy  follows. 

§  104.  Each  church  is  in  spiritual  union  with  all  the 
rest  in  virtue  of  its  being  a  part  of  the  church-kingdom  ; 
and  as  such  is  subject  to  the  will  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
however  that  will  may  be  made  known  (§  32:  1).  Each 
church  in  consequence  of  this  spiritual  oneness  is  required  to 
exhibit  in  all  suitable  ways  its  unity  with  all  others.  No 
duty  is  greater  than  this ;  and  for  it  Christ  especially 
prayed  (John  17  :  20-28).  Hence  Christendom  has  endured 
manifold  tyrannies  rather  than  break  the  visible  unity  of 
believers. 

§  105.  While  the  haJiaU  or  cone^reofation,  of  Israel  before 
and  even  in  the  dispersion  was  divided  up  into  synagogues 
independent  one  of  another,  there  was  still  a  central  authority 
in  the  ceremonial  law  with  its  priesthood,  rites,  ritual,  and 
ordinances,  to   which    all  Jews  and   full  proselytes  owed  a 


120  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

recognized  allegiance.  And  when  the  kahal  became  the 
ecclesia  (Matt.  16  :  18;  Eph.  5:  23-27),  and  the  synagogues 
became  churches,  was  there  not  also  a  transference  of  the 
national  authority  over  into  an  ecumenical  power,  commis- 
sioned to  rule  all  Christian  congregations  ?  If  not,  some 
reason  must  be  rendered  for  dropping  it.  Can  we  discover 
any  reason  which  shall  find  its  vindication  in  tlie  facts  of 
revelation  and  of  history  ?  That  reason  is  found,  we  think, 
in  the  nature  of  the  ceremonial  law  which  Christ  fulfilled 
and  abolished,  and  in  the  nature  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 

(1)  The  ceremonial  law  was  largely  typical  of  Christ; 
its  priesthood,  its  sacrifices,  its  whole  economy.  Hence  it 
could  not  but  pass  away  when  fulfilled.  Its  one  ordained 
place  of  worship,  the  temple,  was  superseded  in  the  Christian 
dispensation  (John  4  :  20-24),  and  the  temple  predicted  to 
be  destroyed  (Matt.  24:  2).  The  whole  Mosaic  ritual  con- 
tained in  ordinances  was  abolished  (Eph.  2  :  15  ;  Col.  2 :  14, 
20),  for  there  was  a  change  in  the  priesthood  (Heb.  7  :  11, 
12).  A  new  high  priest  (Heb.  2 :  17,  18 ;  3 :  1 ;  4 :  14) 
offered  one  sacrifice  for  eternal  salvation  (Heb.  7  :  27  ;  9:  12, 
25,  26)  and  became  thereby  the  mediator  of  a  better  cov- 
enant (Heb.  8:  6;  9:  11,  12).  That  whole  ceremonial 
order  of  things  was  superseded  and  aljolished  in  Christ,  as 
the  writer  to  the  Heljrews  abundantly  demonstrates ;  and 
with  it  went  its  centralized  authority  as  an  organized 
national  theocracy. 

(2)  So  Christ  separated  his  kingdom  from  the  State. 
Church  and  State  were  one  and  the  same  under  Moses ;  but 
under  Christ  they  are  separate.  Christ  was  emphatic  on  this 
point,  when  Pontius  Pilate  examined  him  (John  18 :  36). 
He  refused  to  meddle  in  civil  and  political  matters  (Luke  12 : 
14 ;  John  6 :  15),  and  distinguished  between  the  two  realms 
(Matt.  22 :  21)  as  did  his  apostles  (Acts  4 :  19,  20 ;  5 :  29 ; 
Rom.  13  :  1-7  ;  1  Peter  2 :  13,  14). 

(3)  The  church-kingdom,  thus  stripped  both  of  temporal 
authority  and  of  the  ceremonial  law  with  its  priesthood  and 


INDEPENDENCE   OF  LOCAL    CHURCHES.  121 

sacrifices  and  ordinances  and  ritual,  appears  a  better  and 
higher  development  than  the  kahal,  or  congregation,  of  Israel 
fettered  with  both.  One  is  liberty;  the  other  is  bondage 
(Cxal.  5:  1).  The  destruction  of  these  two  elements  of  au- 
thority left  the  kahal^  or  congregation,  of  Israel  with  only  the 
moral  and  religious  institutions  of  the  synagogue — water 
baptism,  and  what  of  the  sacred  Scriptures  was  not  fulfilled 
in  Christ ;  and  as  such  it  became  the  Christian  ecdesia,  or 
congregation  of  believers  in  Jesus  Christ,  —  a  church-kingdom 
spiritual,  not  of  this  world,  whose  sole  central  authority  is  in 
its  Head  and  King,  and  whose  local  churches  are  independent 
one  of  another,  and  of  all  centralized  power,  except  that 
which  is  found  in  Christ  Jesus.  This  is,  therefore,  the  nor- 
mal relation  of  individual  churches  to  any  part  of  the  whole, 
or  to  the  whole  body. 

§  10(3.  Hence  the  churches  of  Christ  have  not  been  made 
subject  to  an  infallible  primate.  There  is  no  trace  of  such 
an  order  of  things  in  the  New  Testament.  We  hunt  in  vain 
for  Scriptural  or  historical  proof  that  Peter  possessed  and 
exercised  a  primacy  of  authorit}'.  Whatever  primacy  he  had 
was  of  another  sort.  Tliis  is  so  clearly  the  case,  that  Paul, 
not  one  of  the  original  apostles,  but  an  apostle  to  the  Gen- 
tiles, pul)licly  resisted  and  rebuked  Peter,  liecause  he  was  to 
be  blamed  (Gal.  2 :  11-14).  Paul  recorded  the  event,  a.d. 
56-58. 

Many  passages  quoted  or  referred  to  by  the  Papists  in  the 
Tridentine  (1545-15(33)  and  Vatican  (1870)  decrees  are  so 
general  that  they  have  equal  force  under  all  theories  of  the 
Christian  Church.  These  we  have  already  given  (§  54). 
But  there  are  two  passages  which  need  special  notice.  When 
Andrew  brought  his  l)rother  Simon  to  the  Messiah,  Jesus, 
looking  upon  him  for  the  first  time,  said:  ''Thou  art  Simon 
the  son  of  John:  tliou  shalt  be  called  Cephas  (which  is  by 
interpretation,  Peter)  "  (John  1:  42).  Tims,  at  the  outset, 
Christ,  by  the  change  of  name,  pcMiited  out  iu  the  most  em- 
phatic way  the  place  Simon  Peter  should  hold  in  the  coming 


122  THE  CIIUBCH- KINGDOM. 

dispensation.  Tliis  was  made  more  emphatic  in  the  List  year 
of  his  ministry,  when  in  response  to  a  reply  of  Peter,  Jesus 
said :  "■  Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my 
church ;  and  the  gates  of  Hades  shall  not  prevail  against  it. 
I  will  give  unto  thee  the  kej^s  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven: 
and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in 
heaven :  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose  on  earth  shall  be 
loosed  in  heaven  "  (Matt.  16 :  18,  19).  This  is  the  text  of 
the  Papacy.  Whatever  may  be  meant  by  the  keys,  to  bind 
and  loose,  in  this  passage,  was  afterwards  conferred  in  the 
same  words  upon  each  local  church,  however  small  (Matt. 
18 :  18) ;  and  after  his  resurrection,  in  still  stronger  lan- 
guage, was  conferred  upon  the  whole  body  of  the  apostles. 
What  was  thus  distributed  could  not  be  claimed  by  one  alone. 
Peter  never  claimed  this  power  as  peculiar  to  himself.  It  is 
therefore  no  proof  of  liis  primacy  in  power. 

What  is  meant  then  by  the  words :  "  upon  this  rock  I  will 
build  my  church"?  We  answer:  (1)  One  interpretation 
gives  to  the  words  an  historical  primacy.  Peter  was  the 
first  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  Jews  (Acts  2 :  14),  and  to 
the  Gentiles  (Acts  10 :  44-48),  thus  becoming  the  founda- 
tion of  the  Church.  This  is  the  view  of  Tertullian,  who 
wrote  A.D.  192-220.22  (^9)  Cyprian,  A.D.  246-258,  uses  the 
passage  to  prove  "that  the  Church  is  founded  upon  the 
bishops."  23  (3)  Others  make  the  rock  Christ  himself,  since 
"  other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that  which  is  laid, 
which  is  Jesus  Christ"  (1  Cor.  3:  11).  This  was  written  to 
a  church  building  on  men,  on  Cephas,  as  one  of  them,  and 
has  special  weight  therefore.  This  view  is  held  by  very  emi- 
nent names  in  the  Church.  (4)  The  confession  of  Peter  has 
been  regarded  by  some  as  the  rock ;  that  is,  faithfulness  of 
confession.  (5)  But  a  certain  precedence  must  be  ascribed 
to  Peter,  which  may  be  called  in  a  modified  sense  a  primacy. 
Peter  held  a  peculiar  personal  position  among  the  apostles 
and  in  the  building  of  the  church.     He  was  the  spokesman 

2=  On  Modesty,  xxi.  -^  Ep.  xxvi,  1. 


INDEPENDENCE   OF  LOCAL    CHUBCHES.  125 

oi  the  apostles.  God  chose  liim  first  to  preach  the  gos})eU 
after  the  inauguration  of  the  church-kingdom,  to  Jews  and 
Gentiles.  He  laid  "•  the  foundations  of  the  church  deep  and 
strong  on  the  Kock  of  rocks " ;  but  even  here  he  was  not 
as  active  (1  Cor.  15 :  10),  nor  as  consistent  (Gal.  2 :  11-14)^ 
nor  wrote  as  man}-  epistles  as  Paul.  "  Nor  was  Peter  himself 
ever  bishop  of  Rome,  nor  had  he  any  more  to  do  with  the 
founding  the  church  at  Rome  than  the  apostle  Paul "  (Meyer). 
His  primacy  was  not  that  of  authority ;  for  he  was  brought 
before  the  church  at  Jerusalem  and  the  other  apostles  for 
preaching  to  Cornelius  (Acts  11 :  2-18)  ;  wliile  in  the  council 
at  Jerusalem,  a.d.  50,  he  did  not  hold  as  high  a  position  in 
the  settlement  of  the  question  had  in  controversy  as  James 
(Acts  15 :  19)  ;  and  Paul  publicly  rebuked  him  for  his  con- 
duct (Gal.  2  :  11)  and  then  published  the  account.  He  does 
not  begin  his  epistles  with  the  words :  "  Peter,  an  apostle  of 
Jesus  Christ,  bishop  of  bishops  ; "'  but  simply :  '•'-  Peter,  an 
apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,'"  and  "  Simon  Peter,  a  servant  and 
apostle."  He  even  calls  himself,  when  speaking  to  the  elders 
of  the  churches,  '"•  a  fellow-elder"'  (1  Peter  5  :  1). 

Whatever  primacy  may  be  ascribed  to  Peter,  in  this  sole 
text  of  the  Papacy,  it  is  impossible  to  fuid  in  it  the  warrant 
for  the  infallible  primacy.  It  did  not  give  special  authority 
to  Peter.  It  did  not  make  him  bishop  of  bishops.  It  tUd 
not  provide  for  successors.  It  did  not  keep  him  from  error. 
Whatever  power  it  conferred  upon  him  was  afterwards  given 
to  local  churches  and  to  the  other  apostles.  There  is  not  the 
least  hint  of  proof  that  the  primitive  churches  were  either 
united  in  Peter  or  subordinate  to  Peter  as  primate. 

§  107.  The  churches  of  Christ  have  not  been  made  sub- 
ject to  an  episcopate.  Their  relations  to  the  whole  fraternity 
did  not  culminate  in  a  hierarchy  of  bishops ;  for  each  local 
church  had  more  than  one  bisliop.  There  was  no  iniion  or 
convocation  of  sucli  bishops,  with  authorit}-,  until  the  fourtli 
century ;  that  is,  not  luitil  after  the  Church  was  united  with 
the  State. 


124  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

It  is  true  that  the  churches  were,  in  some  respects,  under 
the  apostles  as  the  insijired  teachers  of  Christ,  to  give  them 
both  doctrine  and  order.  Their  Avords  were  the  commands 
of  Christ  (1  Cor.  14 :  37).  But  the  apostohite  is  not  the 
episcopate.  We  shall  see  (§  116)  that  not  one  of  the  charac- 
teristics or  signs  which  distinguished  an  apostle  was  trans- 
mitted to  successors.  After  tlie  election  of  Matthias  no 
vacancy  in  the  apostolate  was  filled,  and  the  office  with  its 
functions  ceased  when  John  at  last  fell  asleep  on  the  bosom 
of  his  Beloved. 

But  the  term  apostle  was  not  used  exclusively  of  the 
Twelve,  and  of  Matthias  and  Paul.  The  word  means  "  one 
sent  forth,"  and  is  applied  to  Barnabas  (Acts  14:  4,  14). 
Hence  we  are  not  surprised  to  read  of  "  apostles  "  in  "  The 
Teaching  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  ;  "  but  there  "  apostles  and 
prophets  are  described  as  mere  evangelists,  or  itinerant 
preachers,  who  were  not  expected  to  remain  in  one  place 
more  than  a  single  day."  ^4  Tlie  "  Teaching "  was  written 
about  A.D.  100. 

The  so-called  Council  at  Jerusalem,  A.D.  50,  did  not  repre- 
sent the  churches  generally  by  presbyters,  bisho^js,  or  dele- 
gates except  in  and  thi-ough  the  apostles.  And  whatever  of 
authority  its  decree  possessed  Avas  derived  from  tlie  apostles 
and  the  claimed  inspiration  of  tlie  Holy  Ghost  (Acts  15 :  28). 
This  council  was  held  for  an  emergency.  The  earliest  synods 
were  held  in  Asia  Minor,  but  not  until  the  middle  of  the 
second  century .^^  The  earliest  general  council  was  held 
A.D.  325.  Previous  to  this  Nicene  Council  there  could  have 
been  no  general  Episcopal  rule  of  the  churches,  taken  collec- 
tively. Even  Dean  Stanley  says  :  "  Before  the  conversion  of 
the  Empire,  bishops  and  presbyters  alike  Avere  chosen  by  the 
Avhole  mass  of  the  people  in  the  parish  or  diocese  (the  Avords 
at  that  time  Avere  almost  interchangeable)."^  Episcopacy 
is,  then,  a  late  groAvth.      The  primitive  churches  Avere  not 

"  Chap,  xi,  note  on  Hitchcock  and  Brown's  eil. 

25  Hefele's  Hist.  Councils,  i.  1.  26  Christian  Institutions,  175. 


INDEPENDENCE   OF  LOCAL   CHUBCHES.  125 

therefore  subject  to  a  convocation  of  diocesan  bishops  in  synod 
or  general  counciL  Had  there  been  such  a  bond  of  union, 
we  should  find  traces  of  it  in  the  seven  epistles  to  the  seven 
neighboring  churches  in  the  province  of  Asia,  or  in  some 
other  place. 

§  108.  The  primitive  churches  were  not  united  in,  and 
subject  to,  a  presbytery  or  general  assembly  or  ecumenical 
alhance.  Each  church  had  its  own  presbyters,  or  bishops, 
called  a  presbytery  (1  Tim.  4 :  14)  (§  131 :  2).  But  these 
presbyteries  were  not  joined  together,  with  the  power  of  rule, 
into  either  provincial  presbyteries  or  synods.  Not  until  the 
middle  of  the  second  century  did  synods  appear,  and  not 
until  A.D.  325  was  there  a  general  assembly.  Before  these 
periods  there  was  found  no  way  of  concentrating  the  power 
of  the  keys,  so  that  a  larger  part  could  govern  a  smaller,  and 
the  whole  govern,  through  authoritative  representation,  the 
several  parts.  Indeed,  presbyteries  or  synods  did  not  come 
into  being  by  the  exercise  of  authority  ,  but,  instead,  through 
the  exercise  of  fellowship,  and  their  power  came  from  the 
union  of  Church  and  State.  "  Some  prominent  and  influen- 
tial bishop  invited  a  few  neighboring  communities  to  confer 
with  his  own."  "  Not  even  the  resolutions  of  the  conference 
were  binding  on  a  dissentient  minority  of  its  members." 
"But  no  sooner  had  Christianity  been  recognized  by  the 
State  than  such  conferences  tended  to  multiply,  to  become 
not  occasional  but  ordinary,  and  to  pass  resolutions  which 
were  regarded  as  binding  upon  the  churches  within  the 
district  from  which  representatives  had  come,  and  the  accept- 
ance of  which  was  regarded  as  a  condition  of  intercommunion 
Avith  the  churches  of  other  provinces.  There  were  strong 
reasons  of  imperial  j)olicy  for  fostering  this  tendency."  2"  The 
authority  of  centralized  government,  even  in  its  mildest  form, 
was  not  known  to  the  })rimitive  churches  until  after  Chris- 
tianity had  been  made  the  state  religion.  The  germs  of  such 
authority  are  not  Christian,  but  secular  or  Mosaic,  or  both. 

"  Hatch's  Orff.  Early  Christ.  Chhs.  166-168. 


126  THE   CHUItCH-  KINGD03I. 

The  fellowship  of  the  churches  is  not  the  mother  of  hie- 
rarchies or  aristocracies. 

§  109.  Hence  the  independence  of  the  primitive  churches 
must  be  admitted.  They  were  not  only  free  from  subjection 
one  to  another,  Ijut  free  also  from  all  control  by  external 
Ijresbyteries,  councils,  bishops,  or  primates.  One  church  Avas 
not  subject  to  another  church ;  nor  was  any  church  subject 
to  any  authority  or  control,  except  that  of  its  Lord  and  Head, 
Jesus  Christ.  This  absolute  independence  under  Christ  is 
now  generally  conceded  by  church  historians.  We  reproduce 
the  evidence  of  a  few  authorities,  none  of  whom  were 
Congregationalists,  given  elsewhere  :  ^ 

"  Every  town  congregation  of  ancient  Christianity  was 
a  church.  The  constitution  of  that  church  was  a  Congrega- 
tional constitution.  In  St.  Paul's  Epistles,  in  the  writings  of 
Clement  Romanus,  of  Ignatius,  and  of  Polycarp,  the  congre- 
gation is  the  highest  organ  of  the  Spirit  as  well  as  the  power 
of  the  church."  ^  "  Still,  each  church  was  an  absolutely  in- 
dependent community."^  "Every  church  was  essentially 
independent  of  ever}-  other."  ^^  "  The  apostles  founded 
Christian  churches,  all  based  on  the  same  principles,  all  shar- 
ing common  privileges  .  .  .  but  all  quite  independent  of 
each  other."  "  Nor  does  Paul  even  ever  hint  at  any  subjec- 
tion of  one  church  to  another,  singly,  or  to  any  number  of 
others  collectively."  ^^  "  Neither  in  the  New  Testament,  nor 
in  an}^  ancient  document  whatever,  do  we  find  any  thing  re- 
corded from  which  it  might  be  inferred  that  any  of  the  minor 
churches  were  at  all  dependent  on,  or  looked  for  direction  to, 
those  of  greater  magnitude  or  consequence  ;  on  the  contrary, 
several  things  occur  therein  which  put  it  out  of  all  doubt 
that  every  one  of  them  enjoyed  the  same  rights,  and  was 
considered  as  being  on  a  footing  of  the  most  perfect  equality 
with  the  rest."^     "The  primitive  churches  were  independent 

2»  Pocket  Manual,  §34.  '»  Bunsen's  Hyppolytus  and  his  Age,  iii,  220. 

3»  Milman's  Latin  Christ,  i,  21 .  si  Waddington's  Eccl.  Hist.  43. 

32  Whately's  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  Essay  II,  §§20,  136,  137. 

33  Mosheim's  Hist.  Clirist.  i.  196. 


INDEPENDENCE   OF  LOCAL   CHURCHES.  127 

bodies,  competent  to  appoint  their  own  oiBcers,  and  to  admin- 
ister their  own  government,  without  reference  or  subordina- 
tion to  any  central  authority  or  foreign  power.  No  fact 
connected  with  the  history  of  the  primitive  churches  is  more 
fully  established  or  more  generally  conceded."  **  "  The  con- 
stitution of  the  primitive  churches  was  thoroughly  demo- 
cratic." ^  "  The  theory  upon  which  the  public  worship  of 
the  primitive  churches  proceeded  was  that  each  community 
was  complete  in  itself."  "  Every  such  community  seems  to 
have  had  a  complete  organization,  and  there  is  no  trace  of 
the  dependence  of  any  one  community  upon  any  other." 
"  At  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  century  .  .  .  the  primitive 
type  still  survived ;  the  government  of  the  churches  was  in 
the  main  a  democracy ;  at  the  end  of  the  century  the  primi- 
tive type  had  almost  disappeared  ;  the  clergy  were  a  separate 
and  governing  class."  "  In  the  first  ages  of  its  history,  while 
on  the  one  hand  it  was  a  great  and  living  faith,  so  on  the 
other  hand  it  was  a  vast  and  organized  brotherhood.  And, 
being  a  brotherhood,  it  was  a  democracy."  "  Its  unaccom- 
plished mission  is  to  reconstruct  society  on  the  basis  of 
brotherhood."  ^  We  can  but  add :  And,  being  a  brother- 
hood, it  will  be  a  democracy.  Surely  what  is  so  universally 
conceded  may  be  asserted  without  dogmatizing,  and  may  be 
accepted  as  the  controlling  factor  in  a  Scriptural  church  polity. 
The  most  recent  and  thorough  inquiries  into  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  apostolic  churches  exhibit  the  "  influences  from 
club,  municipality,  and  synagogue,"  in  giving  form  to  the 
Christian  eccleaia ;  hut  they  serve  to  make  even  more  em- 
phatic the  constitutive  principle  under  discussion.  Prof. 
Hugh  M.  Scott,  of  the  Chicago  Theological  Seminary,  in  giv- 
ing the  results  of  such  inquiries,  says :  ^  Every-where  the 
congregation  is  independent,  autonomous,  and  self-deciding." 
"  Whether  we  accept  the  details  of  this  discussion  or  not, 
two  things  shine  forth  with  greater  clearness  than  ever  before : 

3*  Coleman's  Prim.  Christ.  9.5.  ss  Ency.  Brit.  699. 

se  Hatch's  Orj,'.  Early  Christ.  Chhs.  141,  213,  216. 


128  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

an  apostolic  system,  in  which  every  local  church  was  free, 
self-governed,  autonomous,  and  resting  upon  a  holy  brother- 
hood of  believers ;  and  a  ministry  that  was  called  only  of 
God,  charismatic,  prophetic,  and  in  very  few  respects  resem- 
bling its  ordinary  modern  clerical  successor."  ^' 

§  110.  It  is  clear,  then,  that  in  passing  from  the  kahal  of 
the  ceremonial  dispensation  to  the  ecclesia  of  the  Christian 
dispensation,  both  the  political  or  civil  power  and  the  central- 
ized, ecclesiastical  authority  were  left  behind,  as  sometliing 
belonging  to  the  inferior  and  transient.  They  do  not  attach 
to  the  Church  in  its  last  and  perfect  form  on  earth.  Both 
the  temporal  power  and  the  government  of  churches  by  any 
external  human  rule  are  foreign  to  the  gospel.  Hence  "  the 
plan  of  the  apostles  seems  to  have  been  to  establish  a  great 
number  of  distinct,  independent  communities  "  (Whately). 
''No  fact  connected  with  the  history  of  the  primitive 
churches  is  more  fully  established  or  more  generally  con- 
ceded "  (Coleman). 

(1)  If  this  principle  of  the  independence  of  the  local 
churches  be  conceded  as  an  historical  fact,  then  Congregation- 
alism follows.  This  must  be  so  (§§  47,  48),  since  Congrega- 
tionalism is  only  the  development  of  this  principle  into  the 
methods  of  church  fellowship.  Let  the  visible  manifestation 
of  the  church-kingdom  in  local  churches  be  once  controlled 
by  this  principle,  and  all  government  by  authority,  all  cen- 
trahzed  systems  of  ecclesiastical  power,  vanish  at  once  ;  but 
the  union  of  all  Christendom  in  associations  of  churches 
without  authority  remains  to  fulfill  the  prayer  of  Christ  and 
to  bless  the  world  with  liberty  and  unity.  This  one  principle 
conceded,  every  thing  else  follows. 

(2)  The  only  escape  is  in  ecclesiastical  rationalism,  or  in 
an  inner  light,  or  in  tradition,  or  in  decrees  of  an  infallible 
church ;  that  is,  one  or  more  of  the  other  than  Scriptural 
standards  (§87)  must  be  the  ground  of  confidence.  The 
competency  of  the  New  Testament  and  of  the  apostles  must 

27  44  Bib.  Sacra,  233,  488. 


INDEPENDENCE   OF  LOCAL    CHUBCHES.  129 

be  denied.  This  is  done  by  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  the 
Greek  Church,  the  controlling  part  of  the  Anglican  Church, 
the  Quakers,  the  Socinians,  and  tlie  Rationalists  (§  87). 
While  others  declare  that  "  (^hrist  has  not  definitely  specified 
the  form  of  church  polity  ;  "  as  though  a  polity  not  drawn 
out  in  detail  could  not  have  been  determined  by  revealing  its 
constitutive  principle.  We  liave  shown  tha..  a  single  jirinci- 
ple  dominates  each  of  the  four  great  pclities  that  divide 
Christendom,  and  that,  therefore,  no  "  definitely  specified 
form  of  church  polity  "  is  needed  in  order  to  develop  a  com- 
plete system.  The  oak  is  in  the  acorn  ;  and  a  polity  is  in  its 
constitutive  principle.  When,  therefore,  Christ  in  his  church- 
kingdom  stripped  off  the  political  and  hierarchal  elements  of 
the  preceding  dispensation,  and  left  the  local  churches  in  their 
normal  relation  to  the  church-kingdom,  of  which  they  are  the 
chief  manifestations,  which  relation  is  that  of  absolute  inde- 
pendence one  of  another  and  of  any  collection  of  churches, 
he  determined  definitely  what  the  true  development  must  be 
in  all  essential  elements.  This  is  in  harmony  with  his  revela- 
tion of  doctrine  and  ritual  for  his  better  dispensation.  No 
one  would  call  a  man  wise  who  should  reject  all  doctrine  or 
should  embrace  any  doctrine  because  Christ  has  not  definitely 
specified  the  form  of  theology  to  be  held  by  his  churches. 
In  the  old  dispensation  details  were  given  until  it  became 
a  yoke  of  bondage.  The  new  and  better  is  for  heirs,  and  so 
gives  principles  and  facts,  both  in  doctrine  and  in  polity, 
which  determine  what  for  substance  our  theology  and  our 
polity  must  be.  We  could  not  therefore  have  reasonabl}^ 
expected  more  than  we  find. 

(3)  The  Presbyterians  are  especially  firm  in  their  belief  in 
the  supremacy  of  the  Scriptures,  and  imtil  recently  they  have 
claimed  a  jure  clivino  proof  of  their  polity.  We  have  seen 
(§§68:  6;  71 :  4)  that  they  are  surrendering  their  claim, 
and  introducing  foreign  elements.  If  Scripture  fail  tliem,  as 
it  certainly  does,  and  if  the  independence  of  the  local 
churches  be  conceded  as  the  original  form  of  the  apostolic 
churches,  even  down  to  the  fourth  century,  and  all  tliis  is 


130  THE   CHUIiCH- KINGDOM. 

conceded,  then  their  principle  of  authoritative  representa- 
tion will  have  to  be  surrendered  for  that  of  independence. 
This  could  easily  be  effected  by  carrying  the  principle  of 
the  Presbyterian  alliance  (§  68 :  6)  down  to  the  general 
assemblies,  the  synods,  and  the  presbyteries.  They  could  re- 
solve their  judicatories  into  assemblies  of  fellowship,  counsel, 
and  expression  oi  opinion.  Their  votes  then  would  become 
what  the  votes  of  the  conferences  of  churches  were  in  the 
early  days,  down  to  the  union  of  Church  and  State  in  the 
fourth  century,  without  authority  to  bind  the  minority  of  dis- 
sentients. They  could  retain  their  beautiful  system  of  fel- 
lowship, and  unify  it  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  on  the 
principle  of  fraternity  without  authority. 

(4)  On  the  principle,  too,  of  development,  which  we  have 
more  than  once  referred  to,  the  Congregational  Theory  will 
possess  the  held.  It  comes  latest  as  the  consummate  flower 
of  all.  True,  it  is  not  strictly  developed  out  of  any  theory 
or  theories  ;  for  it  was  "  the  plan  of  the  apostles  to  establish 
a  great  number  of  distinct,  independent  churches  ; "  but  the 
principle  then  announced  and  embocHed  was  buried  up  for 
more  than  a  millennium  by  adverse  theories.  Those  theories 
did  not  lie  in  the  Congregational  Theory  as  steps  in  its  devel- 
opment, but  they  came  in  through  an  adverse  environment 
to  bury  the  true  form.  That  original  form,  like  a  buried  seed, 
when  the  environment  had  changed,  burst  forth  into  life 
amidst  persecution  and  death,  with  the  promise  of  the  future 
in  it.  The  other  theories  are  undergoing  testing  by  the 
Word  and  by  the  providence  of  God.  They  fail  to  express 
the  brotherhood  of  the  saints  in  its  fullness  of  liberty. 
Hence  they  must  cease.  This  expresses  brotherhood,  and 
hence  makes  all  in  the  local  church  equal,  makes  all  local 
churches  equal,  and  issues  in  popular  government  and  liberty. 
It  is  able  to  exhibit  the  unity  of  the  church-kingdom  on  prin- 
ciples of  fellowship  and  cooperation,  and  so  to  fulfill  the 
prayer  of  the  Master  that  all  may  be  one,  that  the  world  may 
believe  on  him.  Thus  the  glorious  end  is  reached  on  "  the 
plan  of  the  apostles." 


LECTURE   VI. 

THE   DOCTRINE    OF    THE    CHRISTIAN    CHURCH. — THE 
CHRISTIAN   MINISTRY. 

'^ And  he  gave  some  tn  be  apostle!^;  and  some,  prophets;  and  some, 
evangelists ;  and  some,  pastois  and  teachers;  for  the  perfecting  of  the 
saints,  unto  the  work  of  ministering,  unto  the  braiding  up  of  the  body 
of  Christ.''"  —  Saint  Paul. 

§  111.  The  ministry  of  the  Word  logically  and  historic- 
ally comes  before  the  gathering  of  churches,  whose  materials 
and  relation  one  to  another  have  been  considered.  As  the 
true  religion  is  not  a  natural  product,  but  a  revelation  from 
God,  there  must  be  heralds  of  it  divinely  fitted,  chosen,  and 
commissioned  ;  and  they,  in  the  order  of  nature,  must  precede 
the  acceptance  of  that  religion.  To  make  the  ministry  the 
creature  of  the  churches,  or  an  office  relation  in  the  churches, 
is  therefore  to  reverse  the  order ;  it  places  the  agent  as  the 
product  of  his  own  work,  the  effect  before  the  cause. 
This  is  the  fatal  defect  of  the  Pastoral  Theory  of  the 
ministry.  That  theory  makes  the  ordinary  ministry  to  de- 
pend on  there  being  a  cliurch  already  existing  to  call  and 
ordain  a  man  as  pastor,  and  also  on  his  remaining  a  pas- 
tor. If  he  remit  liis  office  as  pastor  he  becomes  a  layman 
again.  Thus  the  ordinary  ministry  is  made  one  of  office,  not 
of  function  and  service.  Where  there  are  no  churches,  in 
heathen  lands  or  anywhere  else,  there  can  be  no  ministry ; 
hence  on  this  theory  missionaries  are  laymen  until  churches 
are  gathered  to  make  them  ministers.  This  partial  theory 
reverses  the  order  of  things,  both  logically  and  historically ; 
and  hence  the  churches  generally  have  held  the  ministry  to 
be  a  function  of  the  church-kingdom  for  the  enlargement  of 
itself,  endowed,  called,  commissioned,  and  sent  by  the  Head 
and  King.     He  takes  the  initiative  in  calling  men  to  preach 


132  THE   CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

his  everlasting  gospel,  not  merely  at  the  outset,  in  a  special 
ministry,  but  also  all  the  time,  in  the  ordinary  ministry  of  the 
Word.  In  every  case  the  function  of  the  ministry  is  before 
the  pastoral  office.  Hence  the  churches,  when  gathered,  are 
simply  to  call  and  ordain  whom  the  Lord  has  commissioned 
as  his  ministers. 

Before  we  consider,  therefore,  the  internal  constitution  of 
the  independent  local  churches,  we  will  consider  the  ministry 
of  the  Word. 

§  112.  The  Cliristian  ministry  is  not  a  priesthood.  There 
was  a  parental  priesthood  in  the  patriarchal  dispensation,  and 
the  Aaronic  priesthood  in  the  ceremonial  dispensation,  and 
both  priesthoods  offered  bloody  sacrifices.  So  the  Christian 
dispensation  has  its  priesthood,  but  it  is  not  the  ministry  of 
the  Word. 

(1)  A  priest  is  strictly  one  who  offers  sacrifices,  both  ex- 
piatory and  eucharistic.  This  is  the  use  of  the  word  in  the 
Scriptures.  Presbyter  is  sometimes  shortened  into  priest,  but 
this  is  a  perversion.  A  priest  must  have  somewhat  to  offer 
on  an  altar  in  worship  ;  in  doing  which  he  stands  as  mediator 
between  God  and  the  worshiper.  In  the  sanctuary  and  the 
temple,  laymen  Avere  forbidden  to  enter  even  the  place  where 
the  sacrifices  were  offered.  He  who  served  as  priest  in  the 
line  of  Aaron  had  to  be  physically  perfect,  and  was  conse- 
crated or  ordained  to  the  office,  being  himself  separated  from 
the  laity. 

(2)  Jesus  Christ  was  a  priest,  and  a  high  priest,  of  a  new 
order.  He  is  called  a  "•  high  priest,"  a  "  great  high  priest," 
called  of  God  to  be  a  priest  forever,  "  after  the  order  of  Mel- 
chizedek,"  "  another  priest,"  which  involves  a  change  of  the 
law  (Heb.  3:1;  5:1;  7 :  11,  12).  He  offered  sacrifice, 
"  one  sacrifice  for  sins  for  ever,"  having  been  "  manifested  to 
put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself"  (Heb.  10:  11,  12; 
9 :  26).  Then  he  entered  the  Holy  of  holies  in  the  heavens 
(Heb.  6 :  20)  ;  he  "  through  his  own  blood,  entered  in  once 
for  all  into  the  holy  place,  having  obtained  eternal  redemp- 


THE  MIXISTIiY  NOT  A   FRIESTHOOD.  133 

tion"  (Heb.  9:  12),  and  "sat  clown  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
throne  of  the  Majesty  in  the  heavens,  a  minister  of  the  sanc- 
tuary, and  of  the  true  tabernacle,'"  "  the  mediator  of  a  better 
covenant"  (Heb.  8 :  1,  2,  6).  He  is  the  Christian's  high 
priest. 

(3)  Christ  gathered  the  whole  priesthood  into  himself,  and 
so  removed  it  from  his  church-kingdom  on  earth.  This  is 
argued  at  length  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hel)rews.  "  He,  be- 
cause he  abideth  for  ever,  hath  his  priesthood  unchangeable  " 
(Heb.  7 :  24) ;  "  who  needeth  not  daily,  like  those  high 
priests,  to  offer  up  sacrifices  .  .  .  for  this  he  did  once  for 
all,  when  he  offered  up  himself  (7:  27)  ;  "but  now  once  at 
the  end  of  the  ages  hath  he  been  manifested  to  put  away  sin 
by  the  sacrifice  of  himself"  (9:  26).  "We  have  been  sancti- 
fied through  the  offering  of  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ  once 
for  all"  (10:  10).  "Now  where  remission  of  these  is,  there 
is  no  more  offering  for  sin  "  (10  :  18). 

There  are,  then,  no  more  sacrifices  to  be  offered  for  sins  for- 
ever ;  and,  if  no  more  sacrifices,  there  is  no  further  need  of 
an  earthly  priesthood  and  altar.  Christ  has  gathered  into  his 
own  priesthood  the  whole  priestly  office,  and  tlien  by  the  one 
sacrifice  of  himself,  "once  for  all"  and  "for  ever,"  has  pur- 
chased eternal  redemption  for  all  that  believe  in  him,  and  has 
thus  abolished  altar,  sacrifices,  and  priesthood. 

(4)  The  church-kingdom  on  earth  has  therefore  no  priest- 
hood or  sacrifices  or  altar.  It  is  an  imj)eachment  of  Christ's 
one  atoning  sacrifice  on  the  cross,  to  substitute  a  priesthood 
with  its  altar  and  sacrifices  for  the  Christian  ministry.  Yet 
the  Council  of  Trent  (1545-1563)  decreed  that  in  the  mass 
the  "  same  Christ  is  contained  and  immolated  in  an  unbloody 
manner  who  once  offered  himself  in  a  bloody  manner  on  the 
altar  of  the  cross  ;  "  and  that  "  this  sacrifice  is  truly  projjitia- 
tory."  1  "  If  any  one  saith  that  the  sacrifice  of  the  mass  is 
only  a  sacrifice  of  praise  and  of  thanksgiving ;  or,  that  it  is 
a  bare  commemoration  of  the  sacrifice  consummated  on  the 

'  On  the  Mass,  chiip.  ii. 


134  THE  CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

cross,  but  not  a  propitiatory  sacrifice  ...  let  him  be  anatli- 
enia."  ^  If  there  be  a  sacrifice,  there  must  be  also  a  priest- 
hood to  offer.  Heuce  the  same  council  decreed  that  there  is 
in  the  Christian  Church  "a  new,  visible,  and  external  priest- 
hood," for  "  consecrating,  offering,  and  administering "  this 
sacrifice,  with  an  anathema  for  all  who  deny  it.-^  With  tliis 
new  and  external  priesthood  to  offer  the  sacrifice  of  the  mass, 
the  table  becomes  a  veritable  altar. 

The  Orthodox  Greek  Church  also  holds  that  the  Eucharist 
is  an  expiatory  sacrifice,  and  the  ministry  a  priesthood.^  The 
Old  Catholics  reject  the  idea  of  a  sacrifice  in  the  Eucharist,^ 
and  hence  of  a  true  priesthood.  The  Anglican  and  Episco- 
pal churches  reject  the  idea  of  a  sacrifice  in  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per,^ though  the  ritualists  in  those  churches  retain  it.  The 
Lutherans,  in  the  mother  confession  of  Protestantism,  retain 
the  name  of  mass,  but  deplete  it  of  its  sacrificial  character.'' 
Other  Protestants  reject  both  the  name  of  mass  and  the  idea 
of  sacrifice  in  the  communion,  hence  also  the  priesthood  and 
the  altar. 

No  fair  interpretation  of  the  New  Testament  supports  the 
theory  of  a  Christian  priesthood,  which  was  introduced  from 
the  preceding  dispensation.  Indeed,  the  only  passage  that 
looks  in  a  priestly  direction  by  the  use  of  the  word  "  altar  " 
(Heb.  13 :  10)  refers,  as  the  context  shows,  to  Christ  Jesus,, 
who  "suffered  without  the  gate,"  as  the  sacrifices  were 
"burned  without  the  camp." 

§  113.  The  ministry  of  the  Word  is  a  function  of  the 
church-kingdom.  "  With  the  exception  of  the  Quakers  and 
Anabaptists,  all  Christian  communities  have  been  agreed  in 
this.  But  a  divergence  of  sentiment  has  obtained  as  to  the 
relation  of  the  ministerial  order  to  the  general  body  of  Chris- 
tians. The  Protestants  ascril^e  to  that  order  a  distinction 
from  other  believers,  grounded  only  on  the  function  of  their 

2  Canons  on  the  Mass,  iii.  =*  On  Sacrament  of  Order,  i;  Canons  on  Order,  i. 

■•  1 1  Ency.  Brit.  158.  '-  Creed,  Art.  xiv. 

"  Creed,  art.  xxxi.  '  Augsburg  Conf.,  part  ii,  art.  xxiv,  3. 


THE  MINISTRY  A  FUNCTION.  135 

office ;  but  the  Romish  Church  vindicates  for  its  priesthood 
an  indelible  character,  imparted  in  ordination,  which  forever 
separates  them  from  the  laity.  It  sharply  opposes  the  clergy 
as  the  governing,  to  the  laity  as  the  governed,  class."  ^ 

(1)  This  ministerial  function  is  not  exclusive.  It  does  not 
shut  out  the  general  body  of  believers  from  active  participa- 
tion in  church  worship.  No  line  of  separation  is  drawn  be- 
tween the  ministry  and  the  laity,  as  between  the  priesthood 
and  the  people.  As  in  the  synagogues  every  adult  male  Jew 
could  take  part  in  the  services,^  so  in  the  primitive  churches 
laymen  could  take  part  in  the  worship  (1  Cor.  14 :  31). 
The  function  of  teaching  or  preaching,  by  the  Acts,  the 
Epistles,  and  the  Apostolical  Constitutions,  was  open  to  lay- 
men.i^  In  this  respect  all  are  priests,  to  offer  spiritual  sacri- 
fices (1  Peter  2 :  5).  The  ministry  is  a  function  of  the 
church-kingdom  common  to  all  its  members,  yet  specifically 
manifested  in  the  superior  fitness  of  some. 

(2)  This  ministerial  function  is  prepared  and  called  into 
service  by  the  Lord  Christ.  He  calls  men  into  his  churches 
by  his  Spirit ;  and  he  calls  men  into  the  ministry  by  gifts, 
graces,  opportunities,  and  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
"No  man  taketh  the  honour  unto  himself,  but  when  he  is 
called  of  God"  (Heb.  5:4);  "who  also  made  us  sufficient 
as  ministers  of  a  new  covenant "  (2  Cor.  3 :  6) ;  "  separated 
unto  the  gospel  of  God "  (Rom.  1:1);  and  "  approved  of 
God  to  be  entrusted  with  the  gospel"  (1  Thess.  2:  4). 
Hence  it  can  be  said :  "  And  he  gave  some  to  be  apostles ; 
and  some,  prophets  ;  and  some,  evangelists ;  and  some,  pastors 
and  teachers  "  (Ei)h.  4 :  11).  This  divine  calling  and  appoint- 
ment is  every-where  recognized ;  as  when  Paul  addressed  the 
Ephesian  elders :  "  Take  heed  ...  to  all  the  flock,  in  the 
which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you  bishops "  (Acts  20 : 
28).     "  Take  heed  to  the  ministry  which  thou  hast  received 

*  Winer's  Confessions  of  Christendom,  chap,  xx,  244. 

»  SchafTs  Hist.  Christ.  Ch.  i  459. 

•0  Hatch's  Org.  Early  Christ.  Chhs.  n4, 115, 123. 


136  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

of  the  Lord,  that  thou  fulfil  it"  (Col.  -i:  17).     The  ministry 
is  thus  called  of  God. 

(3)  The  distinction  between  the  ministry  and  the  laity  in 
the  churches  is  due  to  the  suitable  recognition  of  this  divine 
call.  Those  who  possess  the  function  of  teaching  or  preach- 
ing will  manifest  it  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  churches,  or 
they  will  be  moved  by  an  inward  impulse  to  seek  the  work 
and  to  prepare  for  it,  and  such,  if  they  possess  the  other 
needed  qualifications,  are  set  apart  to  their  work  with  prayer 
and  the  laying  on  of  hands  by  the  churches.  But  they  are 
not  elevated  above  the  laity  by  any  priestly  character,  nor 
separated  from  them  by  any  indelible  quality ;  but  they  are 
set  apart,  in  the  interest  of  good  order,  to  a  special  function 
for  which  God  has  endowed  and  called  them.  The  churches 
seek  in  ordination  to  recognize  the  divine  call,  and  by  suita- 
ble examination  to  guard  against  imposition. 

(4)  The  ministry  of  the  Word  precedes  the  churches,  and 
is,  therefore,  in  some  sense  independent  of  the  churches. 
The  function  belongs  to  the  church-kingdom,  not  to  the  local 
churches  as  such.  When  Christ  had  winnowed  out  the 
nucleus  of  his  ecclesia  from  the  kahal  of  Israel,  he  chose 
twelve  whom  he  named  apostles  (Luke  6 :  13),  whom  he 
trained  for  the  founding  of  cluirches.  He  afterwards  sent 
out  seventy  to  preach  and  prepare  the  way  for  himself 
(Luke  10:  1).  These,  after  the  setting  up  of  the  church- 
kingdom,  went  about  preaching  the  Word  (Acts  8 :  4),  pre- 
paring the  material  for  churches  of  Christ.  And  so  it  has 
ever  been,  the  ministry  of  the  Word  has  preceded  the 
gathering  of  churches,  but  has  not  preceded  the  church- 
kingdom,  of  which  it  is  a  function.  Tlie  minister  must  go 
before  the  local  church,  the  missionary  before  the  congre- 
gation of  believers.  The  churches  are  planted  through  the 
instrumentality  of  this  ministerial  function. 

It  follows,  then,  that  the  ministry  is  independent  of  the 
churches  in  some  respects.  The  churches  may  not  stop  one 
called  of  God  to  preach  the  gospel.     Their  refusal  to  ordain. 


THE  MINISTRY  A    FUNCTION.  137 

though  ordinarily  sufficient  to  silence  a  man,  may  for  cause 
be  disregarded,  and  should  be  disregarded,  if  he  has  in  fact 
been  called  by  the  Master  to  preach  the  Word.  The  whole 
question  of  ordination  (§  121)  and  of  ministerial  standing 
(§§  122-124)  respects  good  order,  not  the  finiction  of  the 
ministry.  One's  right  to  preach  does  not  depend  on  the  call 
of  a  local  church,  or  on  ordination,  or  on  regular  standing, 
but  on  the  commission  of  Christ,  the  Head  and  King.  IIow 
much  less  then  is  the  ministry  an  official  relation  in  a  local 
church,  as  was  once  held  by  the  New  England  churches.^^ 
This  narrow  view  has  been  sup})lanted  by  the  better  and 
normal  view  of  the  ministry.^^  "yIxq  churches  do  not  create 
the  ministry ;  they  only  recognize  it.  He  whom  the  Master 
calls  is  the  true  minister ;  but  he  whom  the  churches  call 
ma}'  be  still  a  layman.  The  power  of  the  keys  is  for  recog- 
nizing the  true  ministry,  and  regulating  their  standing  for 
the  good  of  the  churches ;  but  the  power  to  create  and 
silence  is  not  theirs,  although  generally  good  order  requires 
acquiescence  in  their  action. 

(5)  The  ministry  of  the  Word  is  not  prelatical.  A  prel- 
ate is  a  clergyman  of  a  superior  order,  having  authority  over 
the  lower  clergy.  It  is  true  that  the  apostles  were  em- 
powered to  plant  and  order  the  churches,  to  appoint,  it 
may  be,  and  instruct  the  ministry ;  but  they  by  reason  of 
death  soon  ceased.  Their  function  was  special  and  tempo- 
rary. In  the  permanent  ministry  there  is  no  superior  and 
inferior,  higher  and  lower,  in  rank  or  order,  but  equality  in 
function.  Christ  rebuked  the  spirit  of  hierarchy  that  ii\y- 
peared  among  his  apostles,  and  said:  "  Whosoever  would  l)e 
first  among  you  shall  be  servant  of  all"  (Mark  10:  44). 
"And  be  not  3e  called  Kal)l)i :  for  one  is  j-our  teacher,  and 
all  ye  are  brethren.  And  call  no  man  your  father  on  the 
earth,"  etc.  (Matt  23:  8-12). 

(6)  The  ministry  of  the  Word  appears  both  as  a  special 

"  Caml)rii)jrc  Pliitform,  ch;ip.  I.\,  7. 
"  Boston  I'hitlorni,  part  iv,  i,  1. 


138  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

function  and  as  a  permanent  function,  as  occasion  demands. 
In  the  planting  and  ordering  of  the  churches  at  the  fii'st,  in 
inaugurating  a  new  dispensation,  extraordinary  qualifications 
would  be  required,  with  special  names,  as  apostles  and 
prophets ;  but  for  the  permanent  work  of  the  ministry  ordi- 
nary qualifications  would  suffice.  Hence  the  ministry  is 
divided,  by  reason  of  this  difference  in  qualification  and  func- 
tion, into  the  temporary  and  the  permanent. 

I.  —  THE   TEMPORARY   MINISTRY   OF   THE   WORD. 

§  114.  At  the  head  of  the  temporary  ministry  of  the  Word 
stand  the  chosen  apostles  of  our  Lord.  Their  number  is  four- 
teen :  the  original  twelve,  Matthias,  and  Paul.  Their  name 
signifies  "  one  sent  forth,  a  messenger  "  ;  and  consequently  it 
is  applied  to  others,  as,  "  one  that  is  sent "  (John  13 :  16), 
messengers  (Luke  11  :  49 ;  Phil.  2 :  25),  false  apostles  (Rev. 
2:  2),  Barnabas  (Acts  14:  14),  and  Christ  (Heb.  3:  1). 
The  word  is  used  twice  of  Simon  Peter;  fifteen  times  of 
Paul,  and  fifty-five  times  of  the  apostolate.  Out  of  the 
seventy-eight  times  used,  it  is  a  distinctive  title  seventy-two 
times  of  the  chosen  messengers  whom  we  call  apostles. 

§  115.  There  were  certain  special  qualifications  which 
characterized  the  apostles  and  separated  them  from  all 
others  in  the  Christian  ministry,  wliich  need  to  be  clearly 
detailed :  — 

(1)  They  were  personally  selected  by  Christ  himself. 
The  original  Twelve  were  so  selected.  "  He  called  his  dis- 
ciples :  and  he  chose  from  them  twelve,  whom  also  he  named 
apostles "  (Luke  6 :  13).  In  the  selection  of  Mattliias,  he 
designated  by  the  lot  whom  he  would  put  into  the  vacancy 
(Acts  1 :  23-25).  He  personally  appeared  to  Saul  of  Tarsus 
when  he  chose  him  to  be  the  apostle  to  the  Gentiles  (Acts 
9:  1-9).  Thus  each  apostle  was  personally  selected  in  the 
most  marked  manner,  with  the  exception  of  Matthias,  of 
whom  we  hear  nothing  thereafter,  save  one  indirect  refer- 
ence (Acts  6 :  2). 


THE   TEMPOltABY  MINISTRY.  139 

(2)  The  apostles  were  personally  taught  by  Christ  for 
their  ministry.  The  Twelve  were  so  taught.  Matthias  was 
selected  from  those  who  had  been  so  taught  from  the  bap- 
tism of  John  (Acts  1 :  21,  22).  Paul  even  was  not  an  excep- 
tion. He  had  seen  the  Lord  (1  Cor.  9:  1).  He  defended 
his  claim  to  be  an  apostle  on  this  very  ground :  '•*'  For  neither 
did  I  receive  it  [the  gospel]  from  man,  nor  was  I  taught  it, 
but  it  came  to  me  through  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ "  (Gal.  1 : 
12).  "By  revelation  was  made  known  unto  me  the  mystery, 
as  I  wrote  afore  in  few  words,  whereby,  when  ye  read,  ye 
can  perceive  my  understanding  in  the  mystery  of  Christ " 
(Eph.  3  :  3,  4).  Thus  all  the  apostles  were  personally  taught 
the  gospel  by  Jesus  Christ,  a  qualification  insisted  on  by 
Peter  as  essential,  and  by  the  opponents  of  Paul. 

(3)  They  were  inspired  by  the  Spirit  for  their  mission. 
They  did  not  plant  churches  as  missionaries  now  do.  They 
were  the  founders  of  the  first  churches,  and  gave  them  in 
germ  their  doctrine  and  order,  creed  and  polity,  and  that, 
too,  for  all  cliurches  in  all  time.  They  needed  a  guidance 
by  inspiration  whicli  none  others  need.  They  had  been 
promised  such  inspiration  (John  14:  26;  16:  13).  They 
were  forbidden  to  begin  their  work  until  they  had  been 
"clothed  with  power  from  on  high"  (Luke  24:  49),  and 
thus  fitted  for  the  proper  exercise  of  the  power  of  the  keys, 
to  bind  and  loose  (Matt.  16 :  19)  and  to  forgive  and  retain 
sins  (John  20  :  23)  ;  that  is,  to  found  and  order  the  churches. 
Hence  they  waited  until  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  on 
Pentecost,  before  they  made  converts,  or  sought  to  make 
them.  They  thereafter  claimed  inspiration  in  what  tliey 
said  and  did  in  I'espect  to  doctrine  and  order.  Hence  in 
the  decree  of  the  council  at  Jerusalem  (a.d.  50)  they  claimed 
guidance  and  inspiration  (Acts  15 :  28).  This  inspiration 
seems  to  have  been  conceded  to  all  the  apostles  except  Paul, 
who  had  to  defend  his  apostleship.  He  was  not  singular, 
when  he  said :  "  Which  things  also  we  speak,  not  in  words 
which  man's  wisdom  teacheth,  but  which  the  Spirit  teacheth  " 


140  THE   CHUB CH- KINGDOM. 

(\  Cor.  2 :  13)  ;  for  he  thus  put  his  teaching  on  an  equality 
with  that  of  the  other  apostles.  He  asserted  that  what  he 
wrote  was  ''  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  "  (1  Cor.  14 :  37). 
Inspiration  was  essential  to  the  apostolate. 

(4)  The  apostles  had  some  special  miraculous  power. 
Others  also  had  miraculous  gifts ;  but  Paul  appealed  to  the 
working  of  special  miracles  in  proof  of  his  apostolate,  saying, 
"  Truly  the  signs  of  an  apostle  were  wrought  among  you  in 
all  patience,  by  signs  and  wonders  and  mighty  works " 
(2  Cor.  12 :  12).  He  here  appeals  to  tests  which  were  recog- 
nized as  characteristic  of  the  apostles. 

(5)  The  apostles  were  clothed  with  special  authority,  as 
was  necessary  for  the  founders  of  churches,  who  should  give 
them  creed  and  duty  and  polity.  This  is  involved  in  their 
inspiration  for  their  work.  Yet  they  exercised  the  authority 
of  discipline  through  the  local  churches  (1  Cor.  5 :  3-6,  13 ; 
2  Cor.  2:6). 

(6)  The  apostles  were  equal  in  rank  or  order.  There  was 
great  inequality  in  natural  endowments  and  in  labors,  but  in 
rank  or  functions  there  was  none.  They  were  brethren. 
When  an  ambition  for  place  appeared,  the  Master  checked  it, 
saying,  "Not  so  shall  it  be  among  you"  (Matt.  20:  26). 
The  primacy  of  Peter  was  not  in  rank  or  order  (§  106). 
Paul  met  Peter  and  James  on  terms  of  equality  (Gal.  1 : 
18,  19).  They  "who  were  of  repute  imparted  nothing"  to 
liim  (Gal.  2 :  6).  There  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  there 
was  any  inequality  in  power,  rank,  or  authority  among  the 
apostles.     They  were  equal. 

§  116.  The  apostolic  office  was  temporary.  It  ceased 
when  John  fell  asleep.  We  prove  this  from  several  con- 
siderations. 

(1)  Its  special  nature  proves  its  temporary  nature.  The 
churches  could  not  be  founded  in  doctrine,  duty,  and  polity 
more  than  once.  There  has  been  no  addition  to  the  perma- 
nent law  of  the  churches,  the  New  Testament,  since  John's 
death.     As   the   foundations   could    not   be    laid   more    than 


THE    TEMPOBABY  MINISTBY.  141 

once,  the  apostolate  ceased  when  its  function  was  fulfilled, 
dying  when  the  apostles  died. 

(2)  The  qualifications  of  the  apostolate  did  not  continue. 
Christ  might  have  continued  to  choose  and  instruct  and 
qualify  apostles,  as  he  did  Paul,  until  the  end  of  time :  and 
they  could  have  vindicated  their  claim  to  be  apostles,  as  Paul 
did  his,  by  inspiration  and  miracles.  But  none  since  the 
days  of  John,  Avhen  challenged,  can  produce  the  signs  of  an 
apostle.  The  term  "  apostle  "  was  longer  retained,  "  but  there 
are  many  indications  that  traveling  evangelists  were  thus 
termed  for  some  time  after  the  apostolic  age."  ^^  These  "  itine- 
rant preachers  "  could  claim  no  authority  as  apostles,  as  they 
were  not  expected  to  remain  in  one  place  more  than  one  day. 
If  they  remained  "three  days"  they  are  declared  to  be 
"  false."  This  description  proves  that  the  signs  of  the  origi- 
nal apostles  were  wholly  wanting  in  them. 

(3)  The  apostles  had  consequently  no  successors.  No 
vacancies  were  filled  after  the  election  of  Matthias ;  that  is, 
after  the  inauguration  of  the  church-kingdom  at  Pentecost. 
James  was  beheaded  a.d.  44.  It  has  been  said  that  "  after 
the  death  of  James  the  elder  and  James  the  younger,  Paul 
and  Barnabas  were  chosen  in  their  stead,  that  the  coUeeriate 
number  might  be  preserved."  ^^  But  Paul  was  called  (Acts 
9:  15)  eight  years  or  more  before  the  death  of  James  the 
elder  (12 :  2)  ;  while  neither  the  death  of  James  the  younger 
nor  tlie  death  of  Barnabas  is  known.  For  aught  we  know, 
the  former  ma}-  have  outlived  the  latter.  But  there  is  no 
evidence  that  Barnabas  was  ever  an  apostle  in  the  strict 
meaning  of  the  word.  No  vacancies  after  Pentecost  were 
filled.  If  the  office  had  been  deemed  permanent  and  not 
temporary,  it  is  certain  the  vacancies  would  have  been 
filled,  and  that  the  successor  of  James  would  probably  have 
been  recorded.  Dean  Alford  says  that  "  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment no  trace  of  the  fiction  "  of  "  successive  delegation  from 

>-^  Teufhing  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  xi,  note,  Professor  Hall. 
^*  Alzog's  Universal  Hist,  i,  1C7. 


142  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

the  apostles"  can  l)e  found. ^'^  "-The  fiction  of  a  direct  apos- 
tolical succession,  verified  by  historic  records,  with  no  gap  at 
any  point,  is  now  abandoned  by  most  Anglican  authorities, 
though  long  maintained  as  the  only  ground  on  which  the 
prelatic  polity  can  stand.  More  moderate  advocates  hold 
that  such  a  demonstrated  transmission  is  not  essential ;  that 
the  episcopal  office  justifies  itself  rather  on  general  grounds 
as  an  ancient  and  Biblical  institution  ;  that  it  has  been  widely 
and  happily  recognized  during  the  j^rogress  of  Christianity ; 
and  that,  although  the  polity  based  upon  it  may  not  be  the 
only  one  authorized  in  Scripture,  it  is  still  the  polity  best 
adapted  to  secure  the  interests  and  advancement  of  the 
Church."  1^  Thus  the  constitutive  principle  of  Episcopacy 
is  yielding  its  Scriptural  and  divine  claim,  and  coming  down 
into  the  arena  of  expediency.  Canon  Spence  says  that 
"  when  the  '  Teaching '  was  written,  perhaps  half  a  century 
or  little  more  had  scarcely  passed  since  the  Master  had  gone 
in  and  out  of  earthly  homes,  and  the  writing  seems  to  be  tell- 
ing of  an  order  once  great  and  powerful  in  the  community, 
but  of  an  order  already  passing  away."  "  The  apostle  belongs 
rather  to  a  past  state  of  things."  "  The  aj)ostle  of  the  first 
generation,  as  we  have  seen,  had  no  successors."  ^' 

(4)  The  apostles  completed  the  organization  of  the  primi- 
tive churches.  They  laid  foundations  which  needed  not  to 
be  relaid.  "  The  autonomy  of  the  early  Christian  communities 
was  complete  during  the  life-time  of  the  apostles,  and  was 
quite  independent  of  the  apostolic  office  and  authority."  ^^ 
Thus  the  truth  slowly  wins  its  way. 

§  117.  Next  to  the  apostles  stand  the  prophets  in  the  two 
lists  of  the  Christian  ministry  (1  Cor.  12:  28;  Eph.  4:  11). 

(1)  These  prophets  are  to  be  distinguished  from  the 
prophets  of  the  Old  Testament.  The  few  apostles  could  not 
be  every-where  ;  and  so  Christ  called  into  his  ministry  proph- 
ets to  aid  the  apostles.     There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  such  a 

"5  Corn,  on  John,  xx,  23.  i"  Ecclesiology,  Professor  Morris,  D.i>.,  129. 

"  Excursus  on  The  Teaching,  etc.  131,  139,  152.  "  .■>  Eiicy.  Brit.  700. 


THE  PERMANENT  MINISTRY.  143 

ministry,  since  it  is  mentioned  in  the  lists,  since  directions 
are  given  them  how  to  teach  (1  Cor.  14:  29-32),  and  since 
the  churches  were  founded  upon  them  as  upon  the  apostles 
and  Christ :  "  being  built  upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles 
and  prophets,  Christ  Jesus  himself  being  the  chief  corner 
stone  "  (Eph.  2  :  20).  The  prophets  here  named  were  not  the 
Old  Testament  prophets,  but  New  Testament,  prophets,  who 
assisted  in  the  planting  and  instruction  of  the  churches. 

(2)  These  prophets  had  the  gift  of  inspired  utterance. 
This  we  have  elsewhere  shown. ^^  Inspiration  is  inseparable 
from  their  function.  This  inspired  teaching  was  common 
under  the  law,  and  it  was  resumed  in  the  early  days  of  the 
church-kingdom.  It  was  needed  in  expounding  the  Script- 
ures, in  teaching  and  in  preaching,  no  less  than  in  fore- 
telling future  events.  Women  sometimes  had  this  gift  (Acts 
21:  9).  Paul  speaks  of  "the  mystery  of  Christ"  which 
"•  hath  now  been  revealed  unto  his  holy  apostles  and  prophets 
in  the  Spirit"  (Eph.  3:5). 

(3)  The  ministry  of  the  prophets  was  temporary.  The 
prophets  were  not  church  officers,  nor  always,  if  generally, 
elders.  Theirs  was  a  function,  not  an  office,  which  ceased 
when  miraculous  gifts  were  withdrawn.  Such  gifts  belonged 
to  the  childhood  of  Christianity,  to  be  laid  aside  at  maturity, 
as  Paul  argues  (1  Cor.  13:  8-11).  They  are  referred  to  in 
the  "  Teaching  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  "  in  connection  with 
the  apostles,  and  are  "  described  as  mere  evangelists,  or  itine- 
rant preachers,"  except  those  who  abode  with,  some  church ; 
and  such  were  worthy  of  support.  It  is  a  gross  perversion 
of  Biblical  usage  to  call  elders  prophets,  and  preaching 
prophesying. 

II.  —  THE   PERMANENT   MINISTRY   OF   THE   WORD. 

§  118.  When  we  turn  from  the  apostles  and  the  prophets 
to  the  permanent  ministry,  we  find  that  different  names  are 
employed  in  the  New  Testament  to  designate  it.      Those 

"  27  Dib.  Sacra,  34.3-347. 


144  THE   CHURCH -KINGDOM. 

called  to  this  ministry  are  named  evangelists,  presbyters  or 
elders,  bishops,  teachers,  pastors,  leaders  or  chiefs,  and 
possibly  angels  —  all  different  names  for  the  same  ministry 
in  the  same  or  different  relations.  This  will  appear  as  we 
proceed. 

(1)  Teachers  are  mentioned  last  in  the  lists  of  the  per- 
manent ministry.  We  may  reduce  the  three  hsts  to  the  fol- 
lowing table :  — 

Acts  13  :   1,         A.D.  45,         Prophets,  Teachers. 
1  Cor.  12  :  28,    a.d.  58,         Apostles,  Prophets,  Teachers. 
Eph.  4  :  11,        A.D.  61,         Apostles,  Prophets,  Evangelists, 

Pastors,  and  Teachers.  . 

To  the  list  in  1  Cor.  12 :  28,  there  is  appended  an  enumera- 
tion of  the  miraculous  gifts,  which  added  much  to  the  success 
of  the  ministry  of  the  Word,  such  as  "  miracles,  then  gifts  of 
healings,  helps,  governments,  kind  of  tongues." 

The  word  translated  "  teachers "  is  applied  to  Jewish 
rabbis  and  lawyers,  to  John  the  Baptist,  to  Paul,  and  to 
Jesus.  It  is  conjoined  with  pastors  in  the  latest  and  fullest 
list  as  identical  with  them.  In  the  first  and  second  lists  the 
word  designates  the  uninspired  ministry  in  a  church,  which 
the  third  and  fullest  list  calls  "evangelists,  pastors,  and 
teachers."  They  are  designated  elders  or  presbyters  and 
bishops  in  other  places.  Pastors,  bishops,  evangelists,  and 
many  elders  were  all  teachers,  but  it  does  not  follow  that  all 
teachers  were  pastors,  bishops,  evangelists,  or  elders.  Teach- 
ers we  may  regard  as  belonging  to  the  class  of  elders,  of 
which  some  were  teaching,  and  others  were  ruling,  elders 
(ITim.  5:  17). 

(2)  Evangelists  were  probably  itinerant  elders  or  missiona- 
ries. Philip  is  called  "  the  evangelist "  (Acts  21 :  8),  and 
Timothy  is  exhorted  to  "  do  the  work  of  an  evangelist,"  and 
so  to  fulfill  his  ministry  (2  Tim.  4:5);  showing  that  the 
work  of  this  class  of  laborers  was  well  known.  The  word 
means  "a  messenger  of  good  tidings"  —  a  missionary.     Any 


THE  PERMANENT  MINISTRY.  145 

elder  could  do  the  work  of  an  evangelist  at  times,  and  return 
to  the  pastorate  again.  The  evangelists  did  not  ff)rm  a  dis- 
tinct class  or  order  in  the  ministry.  They  discharged  a 
function  of  the  ministry  which  changes  with  the  need  of 
itinerant  and  missionary  labor. 

(3)  The  word  translated  elders  or  presbyters  signifies  an 
older  person,  a  senior,  the  aged,  and  was  used  as  a  title  of 
dignity.  It  is  found  sixty-six  times  in  the  New  Testament :  of 
rulers  in  the  Sanliedrin  and  in  the  synagogue,  of  the  ministry 
in  the  churches,  and  of  the  dignities  around  the  thi-one  of 
God.  The  name  is  one  of  dignity,  and  is  used  of  ministers 
in  Christian  churches  (Acts  11 :  30 ;  14 :  23 ;  20 :  17),  who 
are  often  joined  with  the  apostles  as  the  recognized  ministry. 

(4)  The  word  translated  bishop  occurs  but  five  times,  once 
of  Christ  as  the  Bishop  of  souls  (1  Peter  2 :  25),  and  four 
times  of  ministers  (Acts  20 :  28 ;  Phil.  1 :  1 ;  1  Tim.  3:2; 
Tit.  1:7).  It  means  "an  overseer,  watcher, guardian,  super- 
intendent." In  civil  matters  bishops  were  "  magistrates  sent 
out  to  tributary  cities  to  organize  and  govern  them."  Tliis 
title  "  pointed  to  the  office  on  the  side  of  its  duties."  ^ 

The  words  "  elders  "  and  "  bishops  "  are  applied  in  the  New 
Testament  to  the  same  persons.  Thus  the  elders  of  the 
church  at  Ephesus  (Acts  20 :  17)  are  called  bishops  in  that 
church  (Acts  20:  28).  Five  years  later,  in  a.d.  65,  Paul 
calls  elders  bishops  (1  Tim.  3:  2;  5:  1;  Tit.  1:  5,  7). 
Elders  were  bishops,  and  bishops  were  elders,  in  the  apostoHc 
churches.  ''Even  Jerome,  Augustine,  Urban  II  (pope,  a. 
1091),  and  Petrus  Lombardus  admit  that  originally  the  two 
had  been  identical.  It  was  reserved  for  the  Council  of  Trent 
(A.D.  1545-1563)  to  convert  this  truth  into  a  heresy."  21 
'  Their  identity  the  weight  of  evidence  has  rendered  practi- 
cally indisputal)le."  ^  "  Tliis  subject  then  may  be  regarded 
as  finally  settled  among  scholars."  ^3 

(5)  The  tenderest  word  by  which  the  permanent  ministry 

2('  Bishop  Kllicott  on  1  Tim.  3 :  1-7.  :i  Kurtz's;  Hist.  Christ.  Ch.  69,  70. 

22  Hatch's  Ory.  Early  Christ.  Chhs.  38.  23  SchaflTs  Hist.  Christ.  Ch.  i,  494,  note. 


146  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

is  designated  is  pastor,  shepherd.  Jesus  is  called  Shepherd 
(John  10 :  14 ;  Heb.  13 :  20),  and  Peter  was  commanded  to 
feed  the  lambs  and  tend  and  feed  the  sheep  of  the  Good 
Shepherd's  flock  (John  21 :  15-17).  Bishops  or  elders  are  to 
act  the  Oriental  shepherd,  leading  the  flock,  carrying  the 
lambs  in  their  bosom,  giving  their  lives  for  the  sheep,  not 
lording  it  over  them  (1  Peter  5 :  3).  Pastors  are  the  same 
as  elders  and  bishops. 

(6)  Rulers  in  the  churches  are  referred  to  in  such  passages 
as:  "He  that  ruleth,  with  diligence"  (Rom.  12:  8);  "the 
elders  that  rule  well "  (1  Tim.  5 :  17)  ;  "  and  are  over  you  in 
the  Lord,  and  admonish  you  "  (1  Thess.  5  :  12).  These  rulers 
were  the  elders  or  bishops  (1  Tim.  3 :  4). 

(7)  Another  word  for  rule  is  sometimes  employed,  which 
means  leaders,  chiefs ;  as,  "  Obey  them  that  have  the  rule 
over  you"  (Heb.  13:  7,  17,  24).  The  passages  designate 
elders  or  bishops. 

These,  we  think,  are  all  the  titles  applied  to  the  permanent 
ministry  of  the  Word ;  and  of  this  list,  excluding  evangelists 
and  teachers,  it  has  been  said  by  the  Encyclopaedia  Bri- 
tannica :  "  All  these  names  are  used  evidently  to  express  the 
same  kind  of  officers,  for  they  are  continually  used  inter- 
changeably the  one  for  the  other."  ^ 

(8)  The  angels  of  the  seven  churches  mentioned  in  the 
second  and  third  chapters  of  Revelation  held  an  unknown 
j)osition.  Robinson  regards  them  as  "  prophets  or  pastors  "  ; 
Stuart,  as  "  the  leading  teacher  or  religious  instructor " ; 
Vitringa,  as  "  the  superintendent  and  leader  of  the  worship  " ; 
Ewald,  as  "  a  kind  of  clerk,  secretary,  and  sexton  " ;  Alford 
and  Cowles,  as  "  angels  "  ;  Barnes,  as  "  pastors  "  ;  Dollinger, 
as  "  the  episcopate  "  ;  Trench,  as  "  diocesan  bishops."  The 
meaning  is  doubtful.  That  they  were  not  in  any  proper 
sense  "  diocesan  bishops"  seems  clear  from  the  facts  that 
each  of  the  seven  churches  had  its  angel ;  that  the  churches 
were  near  together,  so  near  that  the  whole  seven  would  not 

2«  Vol.  V,  699. 


QUALIFICATIOXS    OF   THE  MINISTRY.  147 

constitute  a  single  diocese,  unless  "  a  church  and  a  diocese '' 
were  "  for  a  considerable  time  co-extensive  and  identical  "  ;  ^ 
that  the  Ne\y  Testament  and  early  church  histor}^  know 
nothing  of  diocesan  bishops,  as  bishops  and  elders  and  pas- 
tors were  identically  tlie  same  at  that  time ;  and  that  each 
church  as  well  as  ajigel  is  addressed  as  an  independent  bod}-, 
free  from  sul)or(lination  to  a  bishop  or  other  authority  except 
Christ.  The  change  from  the  singular  to  the  plural  number 
in  these  letters  shows  that  the  church  is  addressed  through 
its  angel,  just  as  each  one  of  the  six  hundred  and  ninety 
bishoprics  in  North  Africa,2*5  a  little  later,  might  have  been 
addressed  through  its  pastor.  Besides,  each  letter  closes 
with  the  injunction :  "  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear 
what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches,"  not  "unto  the  dio- 
cesan bishops." 

§  119.  As  the  apostles  had  special  qualifications  for  their 
calling,  so  it  might  naturally  be  expected  that  the  permanent 
ministry  woidd  be  distinguished  from  the  membership  gener- 
ally, and  from  other  officers  in  particular,  l)y  certain  perma- 
nent requisites  for  their  official  work.  Though  every  adult 
male  could  take  part  in  the  public  services,  as  every  adult 
male  Jew  could  officiate  in  the  synagogue,  still  not  ever}- 
such  church  member  Avas  fit  for  a  bishop  or  elder  or  pastor, 
or  even  deacon.  Hence,  to  guide  in  the  selection  of  this 
ministry  certain  qualifications  are  made  requisite  for  the 
office  of  a  bishop  or  elder  or  pastor.  As  the  list  of  require- 
ments is  sometimes  forgotten,  we  will  give  it  under  appropri- 
ate heads. 

(1)  Personal  character  stands  first.  A  minister  must  be 
sober,  of  good  behavior,  temperate,  sober-minded,  orderly,  not 
soon  angry,  no  brawler,  no  striker,  gentle,  not  self-willed,  not 
contentious,  no  lover  of  money,  ])ut  a  lover  of  good  men, 
meek,  just,  holy.  He  must  flee  youthful  lusts,  and  follow 
righteousness,  faith,  love,  and  peace  ;  not  lording  it  over  the 

s"'  Archbishop  Whately's  Kinj,'.  Christ.  Essay,  ii,  §20. 
2'-The  Church,  bv  I'rof.  H.  Harvey,  D.D.,  luS. 


148  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

charge  allotted  to  him,  but  making  himself  an  example  unto 
the  flock  (1  Tim.  3 :  2  ;  2  Tim.  2,  22  ;  Titus  1 :  5,  6  ;  1  Peter 
5:  3). 

(2)  Then  comes  personal  reputation.  The  ministry  of  the 
Word  must  be  without  reproach,  must  have  a  good  testimony 
from  them  which  are  without,  and  must  be  blameless  (1  Tim. 
3  :  2,  7  ;  Titus  1 :  6). 

(3)  Nor  are  the  domestic  relations  overlooked.  The  min- 
ister should  be  married,  the  husband  of  one  wife,  one  that 
ruleth  well  his  own  house,  having  his  children  in  subjection 
^Yith.  all  gravity  ;  (but  if  a  man  knoweth  not  how  to  rule  his 
own  house,  how  shall  he  take  care  of  the  house  of  God  ?  )  ; 
given  to  hospitality  (1  Tim.  3:  2-5).  Celibacy  is  not  then 
a  qualification  for  the  ministry,  not  even  for  an  apostle,  or 
the  first  of  the  so-called  popes  (1  Cor.  9:  5). 

(4)  Natural  and  spiritual  gifts  are  needed.  Ministers 
must  be  apt  to  teach,  able  to  teach  others,  in  meekness  cor- 
recting them  that  oppose  themselves ;  capable  of  discerning 
foolish  and  ignorant  questionings,  and  of  speaking  the  things 
which  befit  the  sound  doctrine,  able  also  both  to  exhort 
in  the  sound  doctrine  ;  and  to  convict  the  gainsayers ;  to 
reprove,  rebuke,  exhort  with  all  long-suffering  and  teach- 
ing; tending  the  flock  of  God  (1  Tim.  3:  2;  2  Tim.  2:  2, 
23,25;  4:  2;  Titus  1 :  9;  2:  1;  1  Peter  4 :  11 ;  5 :  2). 

(5)  In  this  day  of  lay  and  boy  preachers,  we  need  to 
recall  the  preparation  and  study  required  for  the  ministry  of 
the  Word.  The  minister  must  not  be  a  novice,  lest  being 
puffed  up  he  fall  into  the  condemnation  of  the  devil.  He 
must  study  that  he  may  hold  the  faithful  Word  which  is  ac- 
cording to  the  teaching,  that  he  may  be  able  both  to  exhort 
in  the  sound  doctrine  and  to  convict  the  gainsayers.'  Hence 
he  is  required  not  to  neglect  the  gift  that  is  in  him,  but  in- 
stead to  give  heed  to  reading,  to  exhortation,  to  teaching. 
He  must  be  diligent  in  these  tilings ;  to  give  himself  wholly 
to  them.  He  must  take  heed  both  to  himself  and  to  his 
teaching  (1  Tim.  3  :  6  ;  4  :  14,  15,  16  ;  Titus  1:9). 


OBDINATION.  149 

(6)  He  is  to  be  an  example  to  his  people ;  in  all  things 
showing  himself  an  example  of  good  works ;  in  his  doctrine 
showing  uncorrnptness,  gravity,  sound  speech,  that  can  not 
be  condemned.  His  conduct  and  words  are  to  be  such  that 
no  man  can  despise  him,  being  an  example  to  tliem  that  be- 
lieve, in  word,  in  manner  of  life,  in  love,  in  faith,  in  purity 
(Titus  2:  7,  8;  1  Tim.  4 :  12). 

With  these  qualifications  for  the  ministry  in  mind,  it  may  be 
said  of  an  elder  or  pastor  or  bisho}>,  that  "no  man  taketh  the 
honour  unto  himself,  but  when  he  is  called  of  God,  even  as 
was  Aaron  "  (Heb.  5  :  4).  Though  this  ministry  is  a  function 
of  the  chui'ch-kingdom,  for  the  building  up  of  the  body  of 
Christ  (Eph.  4 :  12),  not  all  in  that  kingdom  are  qualified 
for  it ;  and  not  all  who  may  desire  to  enter  it  may  have  been 
called  unto  it.  The  giving  in  detail  of  the  qualifications  im- 
plies some  right  and  power  of  enforcing  them  upon  aspirants 
for  the  ministry ;  and  out  of  this  right  and  power  comes 
ordination. 

TIT.  —  ORDINATION. 

§  120.  The  permanent  ministry  needed  some  provision 
for  its  perpetuity,  as  its  function  is  permanent.  Christ  called 
and  qualified  the  temporary  ministry.  He  in  a  formal  man- 
ner selected  the  Twelve,  whom  he  named  apostles  (Luke  6 : 
13).  He  designated  the  seventy,  whom  he  sent  out  two  by 
two  (Luke  10:  1).  When  the  church-kingdom  was  set  up, 
"  he  gave  some  to  be  .  .  .  evangelists  ;  and  some,  pastors  and 
teachers ;  for  the  perfecting  of  the  saints,  unto  the  work  of 
ministering,  unto  the  building  up  of  the  body  of  Christ:  till 
we  all  attain  unto  the  unity  of  the  faith,  and  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Son  of  (xod"  (Eph.  4:  11-13).  As  the  apos- 
tolate  and  the  prophetic  function  were  soon  to  cease,  there 
was  need  of  establishing  by  suitable  recognition  the  j^ermanent 
ministry.  Hence  the  apostles  superintended  the  election  of, 
if  indeed  they  did  not  appoint,  elders  in  every  church  (Acts 
14 :  23).     Paul  exhorted  Timothy  to  lay  hands  hastily  on  no 


150  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

man  (1  Tim.  5 :  22),  but  commanded  him  to  commit  the  gos- 
pel "  to  faithful  men  "  who  should  be  "•  able  to  teach  others 
also"'  (2  Tim.  2:  2).  He  left  Titus  in  Crete,  "to  appoint 
elders  in  every  city  "  (Titus  1 :  5).  And  Clement  Romanus, 
who  was  contemporary  with  the  apostles,  says :  "  They  [the 
apostles]  appointed  those  [to  be  presbyters]  already  men- 
tioned, and  afterwards  gave  instructions  that  M-hen  these 
should  fall  asleep,  other  approved  men  should  succeed  them 
in  their  ministry."  ^^  Thus  the  ministry  has  been  continued 
to  the  present  time  ;  but  how  were  "other  approved  men"  to 
be  designated  for  the  ministry  when  qualified  by  the  Christ? 
How  was  the  needed  testing  of  the  qualifications  to  be 
made  ? 

§  121.  The  recognition  of  the  ministry  is  made  in  ordina- 
tion, which  is  a  formal  inquiry  and  setting  apart  to  the  work. 
The  inquiry  respects  the  qualifications,  and  consequent  fit- 
ness or  unfitness,  of  the  candidate,  as  called  of  God  for  the 
ministry ;  and  the  setting  apart  is  an  ecclesiastical  act  or 
ceremony  formally  recognizing  him  as  called  of  God  to  be 
a  minister. 

(1)  We  should  expect  to  find  some  setting  apart  of  men 
to  so  important  and  responsible  a  ministry.  It  would  not 
only  be  natural,  but  expected,  since  the  priests  under  the 
ceremonial  dispensation  were  consecrated  to  their  holy  office 
by  solemn  and  elaborate  ceremonies.  They  were  anointed 
and  consecrated  during  seven  days,  and  the  ordination  sepa- 
rated the  priests  from  the  people.  None  others  than  the  un- 
blemished (Lev.  21 :  16-24)  and  the  consecrated  could  serve 
at  the  altar  (Ex.  28:  41;  29).  In  addition,  "there  was 
regular  ordination  to  the  office  of  rabbi,  elder,  and  judge" 
among  the  Jews,  with  "  the  imposition  of  hands."  "^ 

(2)  The  ordination  of  the  New  Testament  was  by  the 
laying  on  of  hands  and  prayer.  The  words  translated  to 
ordain,  in  the  Authorized  Version,  are  reduced  from  the  pre- 
latical  sense  into  simply,  "to  become,"  or  "to  appoint,"  by 

"  Ep.  Cor.  i,  ch.  xliv.  ■-'  Edersheim's  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus,  ii,  382. 


OBDINATION.  151 

the  revision.  The  seven  ahnoners  were  set  apart  by  the 
laying  on  of  hands  and  prayer  (Acts  6 :  6).  Paul  and 
Barnabas  were  consecrated  in  a  similar  manner  as  foreign 
missionaries  (Acts  13 :  3).  Timothy  was  thus  ordained  by 
the  presbytery  of  a  local  church,  assisted  by  Paul  (1  Tim. 
4:  14;  2  Tim.  1 :  6). 

But  imposition  of  hands  was  had  in  cases  of  converts 
(Acts  8:  17;  9:  12,17);  and  in  cases  of  ordination,  "the 
rite  was  not  universal:  it  is  impossible  that,  if  it  was  not 
universal,  it  can  have  been  regarded  as  essential."  '^-^  In  later 
times,  "  the  form  of  ordination  or  consecration  varied.  In 
the  Alexandrian  and  Abyssinian  churches  it  was,  and  still 
is,  by  breathing ;  in  the  Eastern  Church  generally  by  lifting 
up  the  hands  in  the  ancient  Oriental  attitude  of  benediction ; 
in  the  Armenian  Church,  as  also  at  times  in  the  Alexandrian 
Church,  by  the  dead  hand  of  the  predecessor ;  in  the  early 
Celtic  Church,  by  the  transmission  of  relics  or  pastoral  staff ; 
in  the  Latin  Church  by  tlie  form  of  touching  the  head, 
which  has  been  adopted  from  it  by  all  Protestant  Churches. 
No  one  form  was  universal ;  no  written  formula  of  ordina- 
tion exists."  ^^ 

(3)  The  signiticance  of  ordination  depends  upon  the 
theory  of  the  ministry  held.  If  the  Chiistian  ministrj^  were 
a  priesthood,  as  it  is  not  (§  112),  then  ordination  would  be 
essential  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  especially  to 
the  administration  of  the  sacraments.  But  since  the  func- 
tion of  preaching  was  opened  to  laymen,  ordination  put  no 
gulf  between  the  ministry  and  the  laity,  but  was  only  an 
ecclesiastical  recognition  of  the  divine  call  to  the  ministry. 
Christ  calls  men  to  be  his  ambassadors,  but  they  stand  to  his 
churches  in  relations  of  vital  moment,  which  rei^uire  that  his 
call  be  recognized,  not  ratitied,  but  ascertained  and  recog- 
nized. "  The  conception  of  ordination,  so  far  as  we  can 
gather  either  from  the  words  which  are  used  to  designate  it, 

-■>  Hatch's  Org.  Early  Chris^t.  Chhs.  131. 
•"'  Dean  Stanley's  Christ.  lustitutions,  175. 


152  THE  CHURCH-  KmanoM. 

or  from  the  elements  which  entered  into  it,  was  that  simply 
of  appointment  and  admission  to  office."  "  It  can  hardly  be 
maintained  upon  this  evidence  that  the  ceremony  of  im- 
position of  hands  establishes  a  presumption,  which  is  clearly 
not  established  by  the  other  elements  of  ordination,  that 
ordination  was  conceived  in  early,  as  it  undoubtedly  was 
conceived  in  later,  times  as  conferring  special  and  exclusive 
spiritual  powers."  ^^ 

(4)  Ordination  is  the  ecclesiastical  recognition  of  the 
ministerial  function  of  the  church-kingdom  as  that  function 
appears  in  individuals  called  by  Jesus  Christ  to  preach  the 
Word.  It  is  not  therefore  primarily  and  fundamentally  an 
inauguration  into  the  pastoral  office,  as  the  New  England 
fathers  made  it,-^^  but  into  the  ministry  of  the  Word.^^  The 
function  is  wider  than  the  pastoral  office ;  it  includes  as  well 
all  evangelistic  and  missionary  labors ;  and  so  ordination  is 
to  the  ministry,  which  is  as  wide  in  its  scope  as  the  wants  of 
the  church  and  the  work  of  Christ. 

(5)  Ordination  is  to  be  performed  by  the  churches.  The 
apostles,  as  we  have  seen  (§  115),  had  the  power  of  the  keys ; 
they  might  therefore  set  men  apart  in  ordination  to  the  min- 
istry. But  the  permanent  power  of  the  keys  was  committed 
to  local  churches  (§§  99,  109).  They  had  power  to  prove 
the  spirits,  whether  they  were  of  God  (1  John  4  :  1)  ;  to  try 
them  who  called  themselves  apostles,  and  they  exercised 
their  power  in  this  respect  (Rev.  2:2);  and  to  set  apart  by 
the  laying  on  of  hands  and  prayer  (Acts  13:  3;  1  Tim.  4: 
14).  A  Baptist  writer  goes  so  far  as  to  say  :  "  The  ministry 
alone  confer  ordination :  in  these  examples  (Acts  6 :  G ;  13 : 
1-3 ;  1  Tim.  4 :  14),  apostles,  presbyters,  and  evangelists  ap- 
pear as  officiating,  but  in  no  instance  unordained  persons."  ** 
But,  in  this  case,  if  ordination  be  necessary  to  an  orderly 
ministry,  then  the  ministry  have  the  sole  right  and  power  of 
opening  and  shutting  the  door  to  a  recognized  ministry  ;  and 

31  Hatch's  Org.  Early  Christ.  Chhs.  1:50,  132.  s-  Cambridge  Plat.  chap.  ix.  §  2. 

33  Boston  Plat,  part  Iv,  chap,  i,  §  1.  '-'■*  Harvey's  The  Church,  84. 


OBDINATION.  153 

there  results  a  clerical  rule  in  the  churches.  We  sympathize 
with  our  ecclesiastical  fathers  when  they  repudiated  this 
clerical  ordination.  "  In  general,  the  ordination  of  ministers 
was  by  the  imposition  of  the  hands  of  their  brethren  in  the 
ministry ;  but  some  churches,  perhaps  to  preserve  a  more 
perfect  independency,  called  for  the  aid  of  no  ministers  of 
any  other  churches,  but  ordained  their  ministers  by  the  im- 
position of  the  hands  of  some  of  their  own  brethren."^ 
This  was  sometimes  regarded  as  irregular.-^  But  it  rests  on 
sound  principles.  There  is  no  priestly  or  clerical  rule  in 
Christian  churches.  The  body  that  could  "prove  the 
spirits,"  and  try  false  apostles,  and  elect  its  officers,  and  had 
the  keys  of  discipline,  could  recognize  those  whom  the  Mas- 
ter sent  it  as  under-shepherds  by  prayer  and  the  laying  on 
of  hands.  This  is  confirmed  by  the  action  of  the  Corinthian 
church  in  removing  men  from  the  ministry.^" 

The  local  churches  are  the  only  organs  of  the  Spirit  pro- 
vided for  this  work  of  ordination.  The  church-kingdom 
chiefly  manifests  itself  in  and  through  them.  They  are  the 
normal  repositories  of  ecclesiastical  power,  and  the  only 
bodies  on  which  such  power  was  conferred  for  all  time. 
They  are  chiefly  affected  by  the  ministry,  and  have  conse- 
quently the  highest  reasons  for  keeping  out  of  the  ministry 
all  whom  the  Lord  has  not  qualified  and  called.  Their 
conceded  independence  (§  109)  involves  the  right  and  power 
of  ordination. 

(G)  There  is  no  peculiar  right  or  authority  conferred  by 
ordination.  Ordination  does  not  set  the  ministry  over  the 
churches ;  it  does  not  end  logically  or  in  fact  in  ministerial 
rule.  No  man  ordained  to  the  ministry  can  invade  a  church 
to  govern  it;  nor  can  he  unite  with  others  so  ordained  to 
form  a  presbyter}-  to  rule  it.  This  ordination  is  the  recogni- 
tion of  those  whom  Christ  has  called  to  the  ministry ;  but 
a  man  so  ordained  must  be  called  to  the  pastorate  (§  131 :  1) 

s"  mitchiiison's  Hist.  Jlass.  i,  374.  «  Felt's  Eccl.  Hist,  li,  267. 

*'  Clement  Roiii.iiuis,  Kp.  Cor.  chap.  xUv. 


154  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

by  the  vote  of  a  church  before  he  can  have  any  authority 
therein,  except  as  a  layman  in  the  church  of  which  he  is 
a  member.  His  position  as  pastor  is  distinct  from  the  recog- 
nition of  his  divine  call  as  a  minister.  He  may  be  a  minis- 
ter and  not  a  church  officer.  And  his  ordination  to  the 
ministry  gives  him  no  authority  whatever  over  or  in  local 
churches. 

IV.  —  MINISTERIAL    STANDING. 

§  122.  The  ordination  of  ministers  places  them  in  a  pecul- 
iar relation  to  the  churches.  Those  ordained  may  or  may 
not  be  officers  in  a  local  church,  but  whether  officers  therein 
or  not,  they  by  reason  of  their  recognized  ministerial  call 
stand  as  ministers  of  the  Word,  and  are  treated  as  such  in 
all  communions.  We  call  their  peculiar  relation  to  the 
churches  ministerial  standing.  And  we  mean  by  it  a  minis- 
ter's responsible  relation  to,  and  connection  with,  some  associ- 
ation of  churches  which  may  vouch  for  him  and  call  him  to 
account  for  heresy  or  immorality.  If  true  ministers  at  all, 
they  are  called  to  exercise  their  function  in  subordination  to 
the  church-kingdom,  which  chiefly  appears  in  the  world  in 
and  through  churches.  Their  belief  and  conduct  vitally 
affect  these  churches.  The  needed  qualifications  by  which 
to  test  them  have  been  given  not  merely  for  their  guidance, 
but  for  the  guidance  of  the  churches  in  ordaining  them  and 
dealing  with  them.  They,  if  church  officers,  are  more  than 
church  officers.  They  owe  in  fellowship  accountability  to 
the  churches  that  recognize  them  as  ministers  of  the  Word. 
If  the  Ephesian  church  could  commend  by  letter  Apollos  to 
the  disciples  in  Achaia  (Acts  18 :  27)  ;  and  if  the  council  of 
Jerusalem  could  notify  the  churches  that  the  Judaizers  who 
disturbed  their  peace  were  not  officially  sent  forth  (Acts  15 : 
24),  we  may  well  assume  that  the  relation  of  recognized 
ministers  to  the  churches  forms  a  broad  and  sure  basis  for 
their  accountability  to  the  churches.     As  the  churches  can 


MINISTERIAL   STANDING.  155 

not  create  ministers,  but  only  recognize  those  called  by  the 
Great  Head  of  the  Church  to  be  ministers,  so  they  may  not 
uncreate  ministers,  but  only  withdraw  from  the  unworthy 
the  recognition  which  tliey  had  given  in  ordination.  They 
may  cast  the  unworthy  out  of  their  fellowship,  or  more  for- 
mally take  away  the  endorsement  already  given  them  in 
ordination  ;  that  is,  depose  them  ;  and  all  this  in  the  exercise 
of  their  authority  to  do  the  things  that  make  for  purity  and 
peace.  Fellowship  requires  association,  and  churches  associ- 
ated may,  in  the  exercise  of  a  common  and  universal  right, 
keep  themselves  free  from  unworthy  ministers. 

If  this  right  of  self-protection  exists  in  neighboring 
churches  in  virtue  of  their  common  union  in  the  church- 
kingdom,  it  may  be  exercised  in  any  way  suitable  to  the 
independence  of  said  churches  one  of  another.  The  way 
that  is  simplest,  completest,  and  safest  is  best.  If  tliat  way 
be  by  occasional  councils  or  by  stated  associations,  the  jirin- 
ciple  is  the  same.  Which  is  the  better  wa}^  we  will  con- 
sider hereafter  (§§  204,  209).  We  here  affirm  that  if  the 
churches  can  call  the  ministry  to  account  by  councils,  they 
can  by  associations  of  churches.  Both  ways  recognize  an 
accountable  relation  of  the  ministry  to  the  churches,  and 
hence  ministerial  standing. 

§  123.  This  ministerial  standing  is  so  natural  that  all 
communions  require  it.  Each  of  the  great  polities,  and  all 
combinations  of  them,  where  the  ministerial  function  is 
recognized  at  all,  have  ways  of  making  the  ministry  respon- 
sible, either  to  itself  or  to  the  churches.  The  General 
Association  (ministerial)  of  Connecticut,  in  1813,  by  vote 
affirmed  tliat  ministers,  whether  pastors  or  not,  are  amenable 
to  the  ministerial  association  to  which  they  belong.^  And 
the  Supreme  Court  of  Vermont,  in  an  elaborate  decision 
given  in  1879,  have  held  the  same.®'  Out  of  New  England 
and  ill  all  foreign  countries,  we  have  elsewhere  shown  *"  that 

38  9  Congr.  Quart.  194;  Contrib.  Eccl.  Hist.  Ct.  328. 

»•'  Shurtleflf  v.  Steveus,  .jl  Vt.  .501 ;  .31  Am.  Repts.  704.  ■"'  43  Bib.  Sacra,  41",  420. 


156  THE   CHURCH-  KIXCtD03L 

ministerial  standing  is  held  among  Congregationalists  in  asso- 
ciations of  churches.  The  General  Association  of  the  Con- 
gregational churches  and  ministers  of  Michigan,  in  May, 
1880,  by  unanimous  vote  adopted  the  following  as  expressive 
of  the  past  history  of  those  churches  nearly  from  the  begin- 
ning, namely  :  "  By  '  ministerial  standing '  this  association 
understands  such  membership  in  some  local  conference  or 
association  as  makes  the  said  body  responsible  for  ministers 
connected  with  it ;  that  is,  the  conference  or  association 
receives  its  ministerial  members  on  credentials  by  vote,  may 
arraign,  try,  and  expel  them  for  cause,  or  dismiss  them  to 
corresponding  bodies  on  their  own  request."*^ 

In  the  leading  colonies  of  New  England  the  State  and 
Church  were  at  first  one,  and  the  Legislature  was  a  general 
association  of  the  churches,  possessing  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
jurisdiction.  The  General  Court  of  Massachusetts,  in  1658, 
ordered  that  no  one  should  be  '^allowed  to  preach  without 
the  approbation  of  the  elders  of  the  four  churches  next  to 
the  place  where  he  may  be  employed,  or  by  the  court  of  the 
county  in  which  it  is  located ; "  and  "  that  no  man  be  or- 
dained ...  an  elder,  unless  timely  notice  thereof  is  given 
to  three  or  four  neighboring  churches,  so  that  they  may 
ascertain  whether  they  can  approve  of  him."^  Similar 
things  were  done  in  Connecticut,  even  down  to  the  middle 
of  the  last  century.*'^  Their  Legislatures  were  stated  assem- 
blages of  the  churches  for  ecclesiastical  as  well  as  civil  mat- 
ters, and  exercised  most  rigorous  authority  over  churches 
and  ministers.^  Thus  this  accountability  of  the  ministry  to 
the  churches  or  to  itself  has  every- where  been  asserted  and 
exercised.  A  call  to  preach  the  everlasting  gospel  does  not 
lift  one  out  of  responsible  connection  with  the  churches.  It 
is  only  when  the  churches  forbid  him  to  fulfill  his  divine  call- 
ing that  he  can  rightly  assert  his  higher  commission.     He  is 

«i  Minutes  Gen.  Ass.  Mich.  1880,  20. 

«  Felt's  Keel.  Mist,  ii,  9.5,  ]!)8. 

«  Ibid.  267,  268 ;  The  New  Kngluider  for  1883,  472. 

**  Cases  cited  in  The  New  Enghinder,  1885,  468-473. 


MINISTERIAL   STANDING.  157 

required  to  have  a  good  testimony  from  them  that  are  with- 
out, and  certainly  much  more  is  he  required  to  have  the  con- 
fidence and  testimony  of  those  that  are  within,  which  is 
expressed  in  the  term  ministerial  standing. 

§  124.  There  being  sucli  a  thing  as  ministerial  standing  in 
all  communions,  where  is  it  properly  lodged?  This  question 
will  be  answered  according  to  the  polity  held,  and  we  answer 
it  according  to  the  principles  of  Congregationalism. 

(1)  It  is  not  the  part  of  the  civil  power  to  recognize  the 
call  of  men  to  the  ministry,  and  so  either  to  ordain  them  or 
to  authorize  them  to  preach  and  call  them  to  account,  as  did 
the  courts  of  the  New  England  colonies.  Christ  separated 
the  Christian  Church  and  the  local  churches  from  the  State 
(§  225),  and  so  took  from  the  magistrates  all  questions 
ecclesiastical. 

(2)  Ministerial  standing  can  not  be  held  in  local  churches. 
If  the  ministerial  function  were  confined  to  the  pastoral  rela- 
tion, and  a  man  ceased  to  be  a  minister  the  moment  he  ceased 
to  be  pastor,  —  which  some  have  held  to  be  '"•  the  necessary 
verdict  of  the  principles  of  Congregationalism,"  ^^  —  ^\^q^ 
ministerial  standing  would  be  held  in  local  churches,  since 
a  vote  to  remove  a  pastor  from  office  would  be  his  deposition 
from  the  ministry;  and  besides,  he,  while  pastor  of  one 
church,  would  be  a  layman  every-wliere  beyond  that  church. 
But  this  theory  of  the  ministry  was  not  embraced  by  the 
English  or  other  Congregationalists,  and  soon  ceased  to  be 
held  in  New  England.^  In  answer  to  the  seventh  point 
raised  by  the  ministers  of  Old  England,  the  ministers  of 
New  England,  about  1638,  held  that  a  church  might  depose 
from  his  office  an  unfit  or  unworthy  pastor ;  but  if  one  should 
be  set  aside  without  sufficient  cause,  he  would  still  remain  a 
minister  of  Christ.*^  This  answer  rests  on  the  fact  of  a 
ministerial  function  wider  than  the  pastorate,  to  which  Christ 
calls  men.     But  no  sooner  was  such  a  position  taken  than  the 

*5  Congregationalism,  Dr.  H.  M.  Dexter,  150. 

««  Mather's  Magnolia,  ii,  -239.  <:  pelt's  Eccl.  Hist,  i,  368. 


158  THE  CHURCH- KIXGDOM. 

ministerial  standing  of  the  ordained  passed  beyond  the  con- 
trol of  the  local  church  to  give  or  take  away.  Other  churches 
recognized  the  pastor  as  a  minister  of  the  Word,  and  his  re- 
sponsibility to  his  own  church  was  not  a  sufficient  guard  of 
purity.  Thus  a  minister  is  more  than  a  pastor  and  church 
member.  He  is  regarded  as  a  minister  by  the  chvirches  gen- 
erally, and  treated  in  all  repects  as  a  minister.  If  he  prove 
unworthy,  all  other  churches  are  compromised.  If  his  cluirch 
call  him  to  account,  all  other  churches  in  the  neighborhood 
are  not  only  interested  but  also  involved  in  the  result.  If 
his  church  neglect  to  call  him  to  account,  other  churches  can 
not  clear  themselves  of  responsibility  on  the  plea  that  it  con- 
cerns that  church  alone,  as  under  the  Pastoral  Theory ;  but 
they  must  themselves  proceed  to  take  action  in  the  case. 
The  National  Council,  in  1880,  after  a  discussion  of  ministe- 
rial standing,  with  only  one  dissentient  vote,  declared  "  that 
the  body  of  churches  in  any  locality  have  the  inalienable 
right  of  extending  ministerial  fellowship  to,  or  withholding 
fellowship  from,  any  person  within  their  bounds,  no  matter 
what  his  relations  may  be  in  church  membership  or  ecclesias- 
tical affiliations."  *^  His  ministerial  standing  can  not  therefore 
be  in  the  local  church. 

(3)  Nor  can  it  be  held  in  a  council  of  churches.  The 
churches  may  by  a  council  or  otherwise  ascertain  the  call 
and  qualifications  of  a  man  for  the  ministry,  and  so  ordain 
him.  But  the  council  on  adjournment  ceases  to  exist.  It 
can  not  be  re-assembled.  If  all  its  members  be  summoned 
again  in  council,  it  is  a  new  body.  Such  an  occasional  council 
can  not,  in  the  nature  of  things,  hold  the  ministerial  standing 
of  those  it  ordains.  A  dead  body  can  not  call  to  account  the 
living. 

(4)  The  anassociated  churches  in  any  locality  are  not  the 
best  depository  of  ministerial  standing.  If  a  minister  within 
their  bounds  is  amenable  to  them  as  a  body,  it  is  to  tlie  whole 
body,  not  to  a  part  of  the  whole,  and  any  council  that  might 

*8  Minutes,  17. 


MINISTERIAL   STANDING.  159 

be  called  to  deal  with  him  should  include  the  whole  body, 
not  a  part  of  the  whole,  or  any  beyond  its  bounds.  If  his 
standing  lies  around  among  them  as  unorganized,  which  one 
shall  begin  the  process  of  dealing  with  him?  What  is  every 
body's  business  is  nobody's.  And  if  he  be  a  pastor  of  a 
church,  and  that  church  neglect  to  call  him  to  account,  what 
church  will  undertake  to  discipline  a  sister  church's  pastor? 
It  is  true,  we  have  a  way  of  dealing  with  such  a  church  for 
not  doing  its  duty ;  ^^  which  is  really  a  Avay  for  punishing  a 
church  for  being  deceived  by  an  impostor  instead  of  punish- 
ing the  impostor  that  deceives  it.  But  this  way  has  never 
worked  well,  and  is  such  a  roundabout  way  of  reaching  an 
unworthy  minister  that  it  probably  will  never  be  tried  again. 
If,  then,  the  standing  of  a  minister  be  held  in  an  unorganized 
body  of  churches,  it  is  not  the  best  place  to  hold  it,  because 
(a)  his  standing  is  then  an  undefined  quantity ;  (6)  no  body 
is  burdened  with  the  special  dut}-  of  calling  him  to  account 
for  heresy  or  immorality ;  (c)  the  parties  to  the  process 
may  limit  the  council  to  a  part  of  the  whole  body  of  churches 
in  the  locality ;  (tf )  the  minister,  if  condemned,  may  call 
another  council  of  other  churches  from  the  same  locality  or 
from  beyond  that  locality ;  (e)  in  any  case  the  council  is 
selected,  if  not  picked ;  (/)  the  conflict  and  confusion  thus 
resulting  have  discredited  councils,  and  must  ever  make 
reliance  on  them  both  uncertain  and  unwise,  especially  since 
railroads  have  rendered  all  churches  accessible. 

(5)  Ministerial  standing  ought  not  to  be  held  in  ministe- 
rial associations,  since  that  takes  it  away  from  the  churches 
and  puts  it  into  the  hands  of  the  ministry.  The  churches 
might  still  by  council  ordain  and  depose,  but  that  would  in- 
volve a  double  accountability  that  might  easily  end  in  a  con- 
flict of  authority.  The  association  might  retain  as  member 
and  so  give  standing  to  a  minister  whom  the  churches  by 
council  have  deposed.  At  any  rate  ministers  ought  not  to 
be  accountable  only  to  ministers.      The  opposition  to  such 

♦9  Cambrtdge  I'lat.  chap,  xv,  2  (3) ;  Boston  Plat,  part  iii,  oh.  i,  2  fS). 


160  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

standing  in  ministerial  associations  is  well  founded  and  will 
ultimately  prevail. 

(6)  The  onl}'  adequate  and  proper  depository  of  ministe- 
rial standing  is  associations  of  cluirches.  They  meet  statedly, 
have  well  defined  boundaries,  keep  permanent  records,  and 
are  themselves  accountable.  If  a  council  commit  a  mistake 
or  do  wrong,  it  can  not  redress  it  after  adjournment,  and  all 
responsil^ility  is  precluded  by  the  dissolution  of  the  council 
into  its  individual  elements  ;  but  if  an  association  of  churches 
do  wrong  or  make  a  mistake,  it  exists  to  feel  its  responsi- 
bility, to  correct  it  and  record  the  correction.  These  associa- 
tions embrace  the  churches  of  their  respective  localities,  and 
act  in  the  exercise  of  their  "  inalienable  right "  in  giving  or 
withholding  fellowship.  They  are  not  picked  or  packed 
bodies.  They  have  also,  through  proper  committees,  time 
to  inquire  fully,  and  under  favoral)le  conditions,  into  a 
minister's  character  and  record,  which  a  council  of  churches 
has  not.  They  can  watch  over  and  admonish  him ;  but,  in 
the  end,  they  can  arraign,  try,  and  expel  him  for  cause  ;  they 
can  join  wdth  him  in  case  of  grievance  in  calling  a  mutual 
council  to  review  the  whole  case,  and  to  accredit  or  depose 
him ;  they  can  redress  an  injury,  restore  the  expelled  on 
penitence  or  justification:  they  can  do  all  these  in  the  exer- 
cise of  their  "  inalienable  right,"  without  infringing  upon  the 
liberties  of  any  church,  in  the  conceded  right  of  self-protec- 
tion. They  are  therefore  adequate,  and  the  only  bodies  that 
are  adequate,  for  the  holding  of  ministerial  standing.  To  go 
beyond  these  would  be  to  introduce  the  elements  of  some 
foreign  polity. 

(7)  Such  standing  in  associations  of  churches  with  appeal 
in  case  of  grievance  to  a  mutual  council  chosen  from  beyond 
the  bounds  of  the  association  acting  in  the  case,  is  safe  and 
essential.  There  is  not  an  element  of  Presbyterianism  in  it.^ 
Councils  guard  ordy  one  third  of  our  ministry  in  active  ser- 
vice, and  less  than  one  fourth  of  the  whole  Congregational 

"  Pocket  Manual,  §  C4;  The  New  Englander,  1883,  487. 


MINISTERIAL    STANDING.  161 

ministry  in  the  United  States,  and  very  few  indeed  elsewhere. 
And  yet  the  Supreme  Court  of  Vermont  but  expressed  the 
common  sense  of  Christendom  as  to  ministerial  accountable 
standing,  when  it  said :  "  If  it  be  suspected  that  a  wolf  in 
sheep's  clothing  has  invaded  their  ranks,  it  is  not  only  for 
the  infcrefit  of  all  the  members  of  the  association  to  know 
the  fact,  but  it  is  their  imperative  dufi/  to  make  incpnry  and 
ascertain  the  fact."'  For  the  association  has  "the  rightful 
jurisdiction  to  investigate  charges  of  unministerial  conduct 
affecting  its  members,  and  on  conviction  to  administer  proper 
punishment."' ^''^  Tlie  case  was  that  of  a  minister  suspended 
from  membersliip  and  published  in  the  papers  as  unworthy, 
without  citation,  or  trial,  or  even  hearing.  Redress  he  hoped 
to  find  in  the  civil  courts,  but  failed,  the  court  sustaining  the 
association.  But  no  polity  can  stand  the  wrong  of  inflicting 
the  loss  of  ministerial  standing  upon  a  member  of  an  associa- 
tion without  trial  or  hearing,  and  give  him  no  method  of 
redress.  There  should,  therefore,  be  in  cases  of  grievance 
by  an  association  the  right  of  calling  a  mutual  or  ex  parte 
council,  under  proper  conditions,  for  review  and  redress. 

(8)  This  ministerial  standing  with  right  of  appeal  was 
recognized  as  Congregational  by  the  National  Council  in 
1886,  in  the  passage  of  the  follow^ing  resolutions,^^  namely :  — 

1 .  Mesolved,  That  standing  in  the  Congregational  minis- 
try is  acquired  by  the  fulfillment  of  these  three  conditions, 
namely:  (1)  Membership  in  a  Congregational  church;  (2) 
Ordination  to  the  Christian  ministry ;  and  (3)  Reception  as 
an  ordained  minister  into  the  fellowship  of  the  Congrega- 
tional churches,  in  accordance  with  the  usage  of  the  state 
or  territorial  organization  of  churches  in  which  the  appli- 
cant may  reside ;  and  such  standing  is  to  be  continued  in 
accordance  with  these  usages,  it  being  understood  that 
a  pro  re  nata  council  is  the  ultimate  resort  in  all  cases  of 
question. 

2.  Resolved,  That   all    Congregational  ministers  in  good 

"1  Shurtleff  r.  Stevens,  51  Vt.  501 ;  31  Am.  Repts.  704.  ^'  Minutes,  43,  44. 


162  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

standing  in  their  respective  states,  who  have  been  installed 
by  council,  or  who  have  been  regularly  called  to  the  pastor- 
ate by  the  specific  vote  of  some  church,  have  formally  ac- 
cepted such  posiUon,  and  have  been  recognized  as  such  by 
some  definite  act  of  the  church,  should  be  enrolled  as  pas- 
tors ;  and  we  advise  that  all  our  denominational  statistics,  and 
direct  that,  so  far  as  possible,  our  Year  Book,  conform  to  this 
principle. 

The  above  resolutions  were  reported  by  a  committee.  The 
following  resolutions  on  the  same  subject  were  also  adopted. 

3.  Resolved^  That  this  National  Council  commends  to  the 
churches,  in  accordance  with  our  ancient  usage,  the  impor- 
tance of  properly  called  ecclesiastical  councils,  ordinarily 
selected  from  the  vicinage,  and  especially  the  great  impor- 
tance of  the  installation  of  ministers  to  the  pastorate  by 
councils,  when  it  is  practicable,  as  conducive  to  the  purity 
of  the  ministry  and  the  prosperity  of  the  churches. 

4.  Resolved.,  That  the  state  organizations  and  local  or- 
ganizations of  churches  be  recommended  to  consider  such 
modifications  of  their  constitution  as  will  enable  them  to 
become  responsible  for  the  ministerial  standing  of  ministers 
within  their  bounds,  in  harmony  with  the  principle  that  the 
churches  of  any  locality  decide  upon  their  own  fellowship. 

5.  Resolved.,  That  the  Year  Book  designate  pastors  who 
have  been  installed  or  recognized  by  councils  called  to  exam- 
ine the  pastor-elect  and  assist  in  inducting  him  into  office  by 
the  letters  p.  c,  and  j^astors  otherwise  inducted  by  the  letter 
p.,  it  being  understood  that  these  changes  shall  be  first  made 
in  the  Year  Book  for  1888. 

The  first  and  second  resolutions  were  adopted  unanimously ; 
the  others  almost  unanimously.  They  recognize  and  allow 
the  usages  of  the  several  states  to  govern  in  those  states. 
Thus  there  is  liberty  in  unity. 

The-  fourth  resolution  recommends  the  re-adjustment  of 
state  and  local  associations  of  churches  or  conferences  so  as 
to  recognize  the  holding  of   ministerial  standing  in  them. 


3IINISTEItIAL   STANDING.  163 

In  doing  this,  care  should  be  had  to  avoid  tlie  trial  of  a  min- 
ister before  a  promiscuous  assembly  of  the  churches.  Min- 
isterial discipline  arouses  passions  and  often  creates  parties. 
It  should  therefore  be  guarded  in  all  proper  ways,  that  what- 
ever result  may  be  reached,  no  just  charges  of  unfitness  in 
the  tribunal  can  be  made.  Some  such  regulation  or  rule 
should  be  adopted  by  every  conference  or  association  of 
churches  wherein  ministerial  standing  is  held  as  the  follow- 
ing, namely :  — 

When  the  standing  of  any  church  or  ministerial  member 
is  called  in  question,  and  a  trial  is  to  be  had,  a  special  meet- 
ing of  the  body  shall  be  called  for  the  purpose,  which 
special  meeting  shall  consist  of  all  the  ministerial  members 
of  the  body  in  good  standing,  and  a  single  male  delegate 
of  lawful  age  from   each  church  connected  with  the  body. 

Such  a  rule,  together  with  an  appeal  from  the  action  of 
the  conference  or  association  of  churches  to  a  mutual  council, 
will  constitute  an  adequate  safeguard. 

§  125.  This  ministerial  standing  in  associations  of 
churches,  with  appeal  to  mutual  councils  in  cases  of  griev- 
ance, protects  and  completes  our  polity.  The  churches  in 
a  locality,  in  the  exercise  of  their  "inalienable  right"  of  giv- 
ing and  withholding  fellowsliip,  find  that  the  best  and  safest 
wa}^  is  to  join  together  in  an  association  for  communion  and 
labor,  as  expressive  of  their  union  in  the  church-kingdom. 
Brotherly  love  binds  them  into  one  as  the  church-kingdom  is 
one.  These  associations  unite  in  a  state  or  provincial  asso- 
ciation, and  these  again  in  a  national  union  or  council,  and 
all  in  an  ecumenical  union.  In  this  completed  fellowship 
the  local  or  district  associations  have  the  inalienable  right  to 
extend  or  withhold  fellowship  to  individual  churches  and 
ministers,  but  they  therein  are  bound  to  regard  the  common 
faith  and  discipline  of  the  whole,  otherwise  they  may  them- 
selves be  cut  off  from  fellowship  by  other  associations  in  the 
exercise  of  their  right  of  self-protection.  There  is  no  exer- 
cise of    authority  except  that  of    self-protection,  while  the 


164  THE  CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

unity  and  the  ministerial  function  of  the  church-kingdom  are 
both  properly  recognized  and  guarded.  There  is  protection 
without  the  state  control  which  our  early  New  England 
fathers  claimed  and  exercised.^^  A  few  selected  churches 
can  not  override  the  inalienable  right  of  the  churches  in  any 
locality,  and  by  a  council  picked  from  anywhere  force  fellow- 
ship upon  the  great  majority  of  churches.  Our  polity  is  also 
protected  in  another  way.  Many  ministers,  and  the  number 
is  increasing,  after  ordination  pass  from  church  to  church, 
and  from  state  to  state,  without  any  installing  council  to  as- 
certain their  doctrinal  belief  or  ecclesiastical  position.  They 
are  in  good  and  regular  standing  in  the  Congregational  min- 
istry, if  nothing  but  an  ordaining  council  be  required  to  give 
them  such  standing.  Against  such  unaccountable  ministers 
the  churches  have  been  warned  by  every  method,  but  to  little 
effect,  so  short  are  their  memories.  The  only  way  to  reach 
them  is  through  standing  in  associations  of  churches  which 
can  call  them  to  account.  If  a  minister  refuse  to  hold  such 
standing,  he  therein  proves  his  disregard  for  ministerial  ac- 
countability, and  the  churches  may  and  should  disclaim  any 
resi3onsibility  for  him.  His  ordination  does  not  lift  him 
above  accountability  to  the  churches.  If  he  repudiate  this 
form  of  accountability,  let  him  call  a  council  of  installation 
every  time  he  changes  churches.  But  if  he  repudiate  both 
methods,  the  churches  stultify  themselves  in  publishing  his 
name  in  the  minutes  and  Year  Books,  without  at  the  same 
time  noting  their  irresponsibility  for  him.  Churches  by  call- 
ing such  ministers  do  not  put  them  into  ministerial  fellow- 
sliip  and  standing,  as  we  shall  see  (§§  131,  200),  but  may 
themselves  be  dealt  with  for  breach  of  covenant  relations, 
if  they  persist  in  employing  such  irresponsible  ministers 
(§211). 

The  complete  adojjtion  of  this  principle  of  ministerial 
standing  and  its  consequent  mode  of  ministerial  discipline 
(§§  211,  214)  will  give  our  polity  the  comjjleteness,  unity, 

S3  Cambridge  Plat.  chap,  xvii;  The  New  Englander,  18S3, 470-473. 


MINISTEKIAL   fSTAXDING.  1G5 

and  protection,  without  tlie  coercive  element,  which  charac- 
terized it  at  tlie  outset  in  this  country,  but  which  it  has 
lacked  through  much  of  its  career.  But  the  bearing  of 
such  ministerial  standing  on  the  mode  •of  ministerial  dis- 
cipline will  be  considered  in  Lecture  Tenth,  where  many 
questions  respecting  it  will  have  full  consideration. 


LECTURE  VII. 

THE  DOCTEINE   OF    THE   CHRISTIAN   CHURCH.  —  THE 
CHURCHES    AND   THEIR    OFFICERS. 

"  j4W  the  churches  of  Christ  salute  you.''''  —  Saint  Paul. 

^^  Neither  as  lording  it  over  the  charge  ctllotted  to  you,  but  making  your- 
selves ensamples  to  the  flock.''  —  Saint  Peter. 

We  have  shown  the  independence  of  the  local  churches, 
and  set  forth  the  ministry  of  the  Word  as  the  function  by 
and  through  which  the  church-kingdom  enlarges  itself  into 
a  constantly  increasing  number  of  local  churches.  We  turn 
now  to  the  internal  structure,  functions,  and  external  rela- 
tions of  the  churches. 

§  126.  And  here  we  need  to  recall  the  meaning  of  the 
word  ecclesia^  or  church,  in  its  singular  and  plural  number. 
It  is  used  in  the  New  Testament  about  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  times.  It  is  sometimes  employed  to  give  the  man- 
ward  side  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  (§  35),  as  the  kingdom 
gives  the  Christward  side  of  the  same  body  of  believers. 
It  is  thus  used  in  the  Creed  :  "  the  holy  Catholic  Church." 
But  the  word  is  generally  employed  to  designate  a  local  con- 
OTegation  of  believers.  It  never  means  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment  a  larger  or  smaller  collection  of  local  churches.  The 
word  is  twice  used  of  the  Hebrew  commonwealth  (Act  7 : 
38;  Heb.  2:  12);  three  times  of  a  civil  assembly  (Acts  19: 
32,  39,  41),  but  never  of  a  provincial  or  national  collection 
of  particular  congregations.  The  words :  "  So  the  church 
throughout  all  Judiea  and  Galilee  and  Samaria  had  peace  " 
(Acts  9 :  31),  form  only  an  apparent  exception.  They  may 
be  explained  in  either  of  two  ways :  — 

(1)  The  word  church  here  refers  to  the  scattered  members 
of  the  church  in  Jerusalem.     That  church  had  been  already 


MEANING    OF  '•  CHUBCH:'  167 

"scattered  abroad  throughout  the  regions  of  Judsea  and 
Samaria,"  "  all  "  the  church,  "  except  the  apostles  "  (Acts  8  : 
1).  These  fugitive  members  "went  about  preaching  the 
Word."  They  were  successful,  and  the  apostles  sent  two 
of  their  number  to  Samaria,  who,  seeing  the  work,  conferred 
the  gift  of  the  Spirit  on  those  who  had  been  baptized,  and 
returned  to  Jerusalem  (Acts  8 :  4,  15,  16,  25).  Some  of  the 
brethren  then  scattered  abroad  went  "  as  far  as  Phoenicia,  and 
Cyprus,  and  Antioch,  speaking  the  word  to  none  save  only 
to  Jews  "  (Acts  11 :  19).  Saul  pursued  the  disciples  "  unto 
foreign  cities,"  "  to  make  them  blaspheme  "  (Acts  26 :  11), 
even  to  Damascus  (Acts  9 :  3)  ;  but  in  all  these  cases  he 
found  the  disciples  in  the  synagogues  of  the  Jews,  "  punish- 
ing them  oftentimes  in  all  the  synagogues"  (Acts  26:  11). 
There  is  no  intimation  that  at  this  early  and  troul)lous  time 
the  disciples  had  withdrawn  from  the  synagogues  and  formed 
churches.  It  was  not  until  Saul  had  been  converted,  had 
spent  three  years  in  Arabia  (Gal.  1 :  17,  18),  and  had  fled 
from  Jerusalem  to  escape  the  wrath  of  his  former  coadjutors 
in  persecution,  that  the  Church  is  said  to  have  had  peace. 
We  know  that  the  Jewish  believers  were  slow  in  breaking 
away  from  their  old  worship  (Acts  21  :  20-24).  The  first 
recorded  instances  do  not  occur  until  much  later  (Acts  18 : 
7;  19:  9).  We  know,  too,  that  the  Jewish  kahal  was  com- 
prehensive of  Jews  every-where,  and  that  the  term  ecclesia 
was  in  such  current  use  in  its  theocratic  sense  that  it  was 
natural  for  Luke  to  use  it  in  a  similar  comprehensive  sense 
of  the  ecclesia  in  Jerusalem  when  scattered  abroad.  "  In- 
deed, it  is  hardly  conceivable  that  churches,  in  any  proper 
sense  of  the  terra,  should  have  been  formed  thus  early 
'  throughout  all  Juda3a,  and  Galilee,  and  Samaria '  "  (Jamie- 
son,  Faussett,  and  Brown).  This  view  is  put  beyond  ques- 
tion, it  would  seem,  by  the  fact  that  Paul  afterwards  speaks 
of  "  the  churches  of  Judaja "  (Gal.  1 :  22 ;  1  Thess.  2 :  14). 
If  there  was  a  provincial  church  in  the  three  provinces,  com- 
posed of  local  churches,  in  a.d.  39,  the  union  did  not  prevent 


168  THE  CHUBGH- KINGDOM. 

his  calling  the  several  congregations  in  Judaea  churches,  a.d. 
52.  It  is  both  a  natural  and  consistent  view,  and  one  in  har- 
mony with  the  otherwise  universal  uses  of  the  word  in  the 
New  Testament,  to  make  church  in  this  passage  to  mean  the 
local  church  at  Jerusalem  scattered  by  the  persecution  into 
these  and  even  more  distant  countries.  Especially  is  this  so 
when  we  consider  that  the  converts  were  accustomed  to  syn- 
agogue worship  at  home  and  the  temple  worship  at  Jerusalem, 
their  political  and  religious  capital.  As  the  separation  be- 
tween the  synagogues  and  the  Christian  congregations  was 
not  complete  until  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  in  A.D. 
70,1  ^g  can  not  believe  that  the  separation  had  been  effected 
in  Judaea,  Galilee,  and  Samaria  as  early  as  a.d.  39.  But  if 
churches  then  existed  there,  then  we  reply :  — 

(2)  The  word  church  in  this  passage  means  the  church- 
kingdom,  the  whole  body  of  believers  in  Christ,  "  the  holy 
Catholic  Church."  "  The  unity  or  oncmess  of  the  Church  of 
Christ  is  here  presented  for  the  first  time."  "•  Used  for  the 
whole  body  of  believers,  or  the  Church  universal."  ^ 

Whichever  interpretation  be  true,  the  advocates  of  a  pro- 
vincial or  national  Church  must  reject  both  before  they  can 
claim  in  favor  of  their  theory  this  passage  as  the  solitary 
exception  to  general  usage.  It  is  far  more  probable  that  one 
or  the  other  explanation  be  correct  than  that  Luke,  careful 
as  he  was  in  the  use  of  terms,  should  have  used  the  word 
church  in  an  extraordinary  sense  here.  We  can  not,  there- 
fore, regard  this  passage  as  an  exception. 

§  127.  It  is  alleged  that  the  city  churches  were  too  large 
to  constitute  single  congregations.  Three  thousand  were 
added  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  to  the  one  hundred  and 
twenty  in  Jerusalem  (Acts  2:  41),  and  after  a  period,  "prob- 
ably not  very  brief,"  "  the  number  of  the  men  came  to  be 
about  five  thousand  "  (Acts  4 :  4).  How  could  such  a  great 
number  of  males,  to  say  nothing  of  w^omen  and  children, 
constitute  one  congregation  in  a  city  where  they  had  up  to 

1  SchaflTs  Hist.  Christ.  Ch.  i,  460.  2  Lange's  Com.  in  loc. 


CITY  CHURCHES.  169 

this   time   certainly,  and  probably  much  later,  no  meeting- 
house or  hall? 

(1)  Many  of  those  at  first  converted  were  foreign  Jews 
who  had  come  up  to  Jerusalem  from  fifteen  countries  in 
three  continents,  stretching  from  Rome  in  Europe,  to  Cyrene 
in  Africa,  and  to  Mesopotamia  in  Asia  (Acts  2 :  8-12), 
and  who  shortly  afterwards  returned  to  their  homes,  though 
baptized,  numbered,  and  enrolled  in  Jerusalem.  The  form 
of  expression,  "  came  to  be  "  (Acts  4 :  4),  would  seem  to  in- 
clude all  from  the  day  of  Pentecost  that  had  been  baptized. 
Many  of  these,  no  doubt,  after  a  brief  period  of  instruction 
in  the  new  faith,  returned  to  their  own  countries  to  preach 
the  glad  tidings  to  their  countrymen.  But  allowing  for 
these,  the  number  of  members  left  in  the  Jerusalem  church 
was  great. 

(2)  The  city  churches  may  generall}'  have  met  in  several 
places  for  worship  and  instruction.  Believers  in  Jerusalem 
met  in  the  temple  and  worshiped  there  (Acts  2 :  46  ;  3 :  1), 
also  in  synagogues  there  and  elsewhere  (Acts  13  :  5,  14  ;  26  : 
11).  "There  is  no  record  of  any  effort  to  set  apart  a  place 
of  worship  for  the  members  of  the  new  society.  They  met 
in  private  houses  (Acts  2  :  46  ;  20  :  8  ;  Rom.  16  :  5,  15,  23  ; 
1  Cor.  16 :  19 ;  Phil.  2)  or  in  a  hired  class-room  (Acts  19 : 
9),  as  opportunities  presented  themselves.''  ^  Persecuted  as 
they  often  were,  without  halls,  public  edifices,  or  meeting- 
houses of  their  own,  the  members  of  the  city  churches  prob- 
ably met  wherever  they  could  for  worship  and  instruction, 
the  same  church  being  divided  for  this  purpose  into  conven- 
ient sections.  Such  a  course  would  seem  to  have  been  the 
natural  and  inevitable  way  of  doing  in  this  formative  period 
of  the  churches. 

(3)  But  each  city  church  was  under  the  same  officers. 
The  twelve  apostles  abode  for  years  in  Jerusalem,  to  instruct 
all  believers ;  and  besides,  there  were  elders  in  every  church, 
a  plurality  of    elders  in   each    (Acts  14 :    23 ;    20 :  17,   28 ; 

s  Pluniptre's  Introd.  to  Acts. 


170  THE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

1  Tim.  4 :  14).  These  elders  constituted  a  corps  of  laborers 
sufficient  to  conduct  services  in  many  places  at  the  same 
time.  But  these  elders  and  their  assistants  the  deacons 
were,  however,  officers  in  the  church  electing  them,  in  the 
whole  church,  where  the  ultimate  authority  to  elect  and  dis- 
cipline resided  (§§  99,  100).*  The  same  thing  is  seen  to-day 
in  some  city  churches  which  hold  stoutly  to  independency. 

(4)  There  is  nothing  in  such  a  condition  of  things  in  the 
early  city  churches  inconsistent  with  Congregationalism. 
Presbyterianism  does  not  follow  from  it.  If  we  concede,  as 
we  are  willing  to  do,  that  the  primitive  city  churches  were 
so  large  that  each  probably  met  in  several  places  under  its 
presbytery  of  elders,  we  do  not  concede  that  each  section  of 
the  one  city  church  was  itself  a  particular  church  with  its 
separate  officers.  The  division  of  a  large  church  into  neigh- 
borhood congregations,  or  different  congregations  meeting  in 
the  same  place  but  at  different  times,  for  convenience  of 
worship  and  instruction,  is  one  thing ;  but  the  union  of  two 
or  more  completely  organized  congregations  in  an  association, 
with  authority  to  govern,  is  quite  another.  The  former  is 
Congregationalism,  but  the  latter  is  Presbyterianism.  We 
find  no  germ  of  a  provincial  or  a  national  church  here  in  city 
churches  ;  and,  if  not  here,  then  nowhere  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment or  in  the  ante-Nicene  period. 

§  128.  We  may  define  a  local  or  particular  church  to  be 
the  congregation  of  recognized  believers  in  a  place,  assem- 
bling statedly  under  a  mutual  agreement  to  observe  Christ's 
ordinances  in  one  society.  There  are  five  things  here  which 
need  to  be  specially  noticed  in  this  definition :  (1)  Those 
constituting  a  Christian  church  must  be  believers,  true  fol- 
lowers of  Jesus  Christ  (§  94) ;  (2)  they  must  live  near 
enough  together  to  meet  statedly  for  worship,  business, 
and  lal)or ;  (3)  there  must  be  some  recognition  of  one  another 
as  Christians,  with,  the  proper  tests  in  life,  belief,  and  disci- 

*  Neander'8  Planting,  151;  Davidson's  Eccl.  Pol.  lect.  ii;  Ecclesia,  or  Church  Prob- 
lems, 01. 


A    CHURCH.  171 

pliiie  ;  (4)  there  must  be  some  agreement  to  observe  the 
ordinances  of  Christ  together.  This  agreement  is  a  covenant, 
whether  written  or  understood,  and  constitutes  the  body  a 
church ;  and  (5)  they  must  become  one  society ;  that  is,  one 
body,  under  the  same  officers,  with  one  record,  and  doing  as 
an  organized  unit  whatever  it  does,  in  worship,  business,  and 
evangelization.  Any  such  organization  is  a  church  of  Jesus 
Christ,  named  after  the  place  where  it  exists. 

§  129.  A  church  is  not  strictly  a  voluntary  society;  for 
the  word  "  voluntary  "  makes  the  will  or  option  of  the  mem- 
bers a  fundamental  thing  in  its  formation.  This  is  false  and 
pernicious  in  the  extreme,  implying  as  it  does  that  a  believer 
may  rightly  stay  out  of  the  local  church,  if  he  choose  to  do  so. 
The  believer  is  already  in  the  church-kingdom  in  virtue  of 
being  a  believer,  of  which  church-kingdom  every  true  church 
is  a  normal  and  fundamental  manifestation.  He  can  not  stay 
out  of  the  local  church,  therefore,  without  violating  the 
essential  law  of  the  church-kingdom,  as  well  as  the  express 
command  of  Christ.  He  virtually  denies  the  Lord  that 
bought  him.  He  refuses  to  manifest  with  others  what  he  is 
as  a  redeemed  sinner.  And  no  wonder,  when  such  is  the 
case,  that  it  soon  became  a  maxim  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church :  "  Out  of  the  church  there  is  no  salvation."  This 
maxim,  hardened  into  a  universal  rule,  is  less  pernicious, 
when  we  take  a  true  conception  of  local  churches  as  manifes- 
tations of  the  church-kiugdom,  than  the  position  that  churches 
are  voluntary  societies.  The  very  close  connection  of  bap- 
tism with  faith  (Matt.  28  :  19  ;  Mark  16  :  16  ;  Acts  2 :  38,  41 ; 
1  Peter  3 :  21)  removes  all  option  from  the  believer,  except 
as  to  which  of  two  or  more  true  churches  he  shall  join.  He 
is  bound  as  a  believer  to  be  in  some  local  church. 

§  130.  The  members  in  a  local  church  stand  on  an  essen- 
tial equality  one  with  another.  There  is  no  aristocracy 
within  the  household,  but  common  rights  and  privileges 
and  responsibilities.  Those  chosen  to  office  are  not  essen- 
tially, Imt  only  officially,  above  the  rest.     Their  position  is 


172  THE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

one  of  function,  not  of  order  or  rank.  This  is  assumed 
every-wliere  in  the  Acts  and  Epistles.  We  might  argue  the 
same  from  the  origin  of  the  churches  in  the  Jewish  syna- 
gogues. But  it  is  conceded.  "  Hence  it  appears  that  the 
church  was  at  first  composed  entirely  of  members  standing 
in  an  equality  with  one  another,  and  that  the  apostles  alone 
held  a  higher  rank  and  exercised  a  directing  influence  over 
the  whole."  ^  "  The  whole  body  of  Christians  was  upon  a 
level.  '  All  ye  are  brethren.'  The  distinctions  which  Saint 
Paul  makes  between  Christians  are  based  not  upon  oflice, 
but  upon  varieties  of  spiritual  power.  .  .  .  They  do  not  mark 
off  class  from  class,  but  one  Christian  from  anotlier.  .  .  . 
The  gift  of  ruling  is  not  different  in  kind  from  the  gift  of 
healing."  ^  Elders  were  not  essentially  above  laymen,  hence 
they  are  forbidden  to  lord  it  over  the  charge  allotted  to  them, 
but  are  required  to  make  themselves  examples  to  their  respect- 
ive flocks  (1  Pet.  5  :  3). 

CHFECH    OFFICERS. 

§  131.  The  ministry  of  the  Word  is  in  some  respects  inde- 
pendent of  local  churches  (§§  111,  113 :  4),  but  largely  it 
is  an  oflice  in  such  churches.  This  is  true  particularly  of 
the  permanent  ministry ;  that  is,  of.  elders,  bishops,  pastors, 
and  teachers.  Whenever  these  enter  upon  the  duty  of  tend- 
ing and  feeding  a  particular  flock,  they  constitute  the  highest 
officers  in  that  church. 

(1)  It  is  not  certain  how  the  elders  of  the  first  churches 
were  appointed  (§100:  4).  The  apostles  may  have  "ap- 
pointed tlie  firstfruits "  of  their  labors  "  to  Ije  bishops  and 
deacons  of  those  who  should  afterwards  believe." '  Cyprian 
said  that  a  bishop  is  "  chosen  "  "  by  the  suffrage  of  an  entire 
peoj)le ; "  ^  that  "  they  themselves  have  the  power  either  of 
choosing  worthy  priests  or  of  rejecting  unworthy  ones "  ; 
and  he  stoutly  maintains  tliat  it  is  "  of  divine  authority  that 

6  Neander's  Planting,  3J.  c  Hatch's  Org-.  Early  Christ.  Chhs.  119. 

^  Clement  Itonianus,  Ep.  t'or.  xlii.  ^  Epis.  liv,  6. 


PLUBALITY  OF  ELDEES.  173 

a  priest  should  lie  L-hosen  in  the  presence  of  the  i:)eople  under 
the  eyes  of  all,"  and  that  "  God  commands  it."  ^  "A  bishop 
slu:)uld  be  elected  by  all  the  people."  ^*^  "The  Teaching  of 
the  Twelve  Apostles "  says :  "-Appoint,  therefore,  for  your- 
selves bishops  and  deacons."  ^^  The  latest  book  of  the 
Apostolic  Constitutions  requires,  under  the  authority  of 
Peter,  that  a  bishop  be  chosen  by  the  whole  people. ^^  As 
the  custom  of  choosing  1)ishops  and  elders  could  not  have 
originated  in  the  second  or  third  centuries,  it  must  have 
been  apostolic.  We  may  conclude  then  that  independent 
churches  and  all  local  churches  have  the  right  and  power 
of  electing  their  own  pastors  and  bishops. 

(2)  There  was  undoubtedly  a  plurality  of  elders  or  pas- 
tors in  the  primitive  churches  (§  127  :  3).  They  constituted 
a  presbytery  within  the  local  church.  The  early  custom  is 
approved  by  our  churches,^^  though  in  practice  they  lay  all 
the  burdens  of  the  primitive  eldership  upon  the  head  and 
heart  of  one  frail  man.  The  Sunday-school  teacher,  however, 
has  in  later  years  come  to  relieve  him  in  part.  Our  large 
city  churches  greatly  need  a  presbytery  of  elders  in  each,  to 
do  the  varied  and  exacting  duties  of  the  pastorate. 

(3)  The  duties  of  the  bishops  or  elders  in  a  church  may 
be  summed  up  in  these  words :  To  preach  the  Word ;  to 
administer  the  sacraments ;  to  have  the  spiritual  oversight  of 
the  flock  ;  generally,  to  preside  at  all  church  meetings  ;  and 
to  exercise  the  rule  of  wisdom,  counsel,  and  love.  We  do 
not  regard  the  expressions:  "he  that  ruleth  "  (Rom.  12:  8); 
"  them  that  .  .  .  are  over  you"  (1  Thess.  5  :  12)  ;  "  the  elders 
that  rule  well "  (1  Tim.  5  :  17)  ;  and  "  that  have  the  rule 
over  you "  (Heb.  13 :  7,  17,  24),  as  implyhig  the  complete 
authority  of  government,  or  the  power  of  the  keys.  Peter 
o'ives  a  charoc  ncedino-  ever  to  be  recalled  :  "•  Tend  the  flock 
of  God  which  is  among  you,  exercising  the  oversight,  not  of 
constraint,  but  willingly,  according  unto  God;  nor  yet  for 

9  Epis.  Ixvii,  3,  4.  '"  Canons  Ch.  Alexandria,  Can.  ii. 

"  Chap.  XV.  >2  Book  viii,  iv.  's  Boston  Plat,  part  ii,  ch.  iv,  5. 


174  THE  CHUBCH-  KIXGDOM. 

filthy  lucre,  but  of  ii  ready  mind ;  neither  as  lording  it  over 
the  charge  allotted  to  you,  but  making  yourselves  ensamples 
to  the  flock  "  (1  Peter  5  :  2,  3).  That  such  exhortation  was 
needed  is  clear  from  history.  "  The  office  of  the  presbyter- 
bishops  was  to  teach  and  to  rule  the  particular  congregation 
committed  to  their  charge.  They  were  the  regular  '  pastors 
and  teachers.'  To  them  belonged  the  direction  of  public 
worship,  the  administration  of  discipline,  the  care  of  souls, 
and  the  management  of  church  property."  ^"^  An  Oriental 
shepherd  (pastor)  is  a  fit  pattern  for  the  jDresbyter-bishop  to 
imitate. 

(4)  The  meml^ership  of  elders  is  twofold,  since  they  are 
both  Christians  and  ministers.  As  Christians,  memljershi^) 
should  be  in  some  local  church ;  but  as  ministers,  it  should 
be  in  an  association  of  churches.  The  latter,  with  ministerial 
standing,  has  been  sufficiently  discussed  (§§  123-125).  As 
to  church  membership,  it  should  properly  be  held  in  the 
church  where  the  man  is  pastor,  but  it  is  not  essential  that 
it  1)6  held  there.i'^  Rca'.  John  Mitchell  said,  in  1838 :  ''  It  is 
insisted  on  by  some  that  a  minister  shall  be  a  member  of  the 
church  of  which  he  is  pastor,  and  sul)ject,  like  any  other 
member,  to  its  watch  and  discipline.  But  neither  the  reasons 
nor  the  passages  from  Scripture  which  are  adduced  in  sup- 
port of  the  position  are  satisfactor}^ ;  and  by  a  great  majority 
of  the  denomination  it  is  not,  I  believe,  admitted."  Later, 
quoting  from  Upham's  Ratio  Disciplinse  a  passage  giving  the 
opposite  custom,^^  he  says :  "  Mr.  Upham  must  have  been 
misled  by  the  practice,  probably,  of  his  own  vicinity,  or  l)y 
some  of  the  early  writers  whom  he  consulted.  As  it  regards 
the  great  body  of  the  denomination,  it  is  believed  that  the 
contrary  is  settled  both  in  principle  and  practice."  ^^  It  is 
asserted  that  in  England  also  church  membership  almost 
never  follows  changes  in  pastorates.  This  question  of  mem- 
bership rests  on  the  principle  that  there  is  a  ministerial  func- 

"  Schaflfs  mst.  Christ.  Ch.  i,  495.  ^"  43  Bib.  Sacra,  405,  406. 

"■  §  135.  I"  Guide  to  Principles  and  Practice  Cong.  Clihs.  of  New  England,  237. 


MIXISTEEIAL  ACCOUNTABILITY.  1/5 

tion  in  the  church-kingdom  not  wholly  dependent  on  the 
local  churches  (§  113:  4).  If  we  reject  this  function,  and 
reduce  the  ministry  to  the  pastorate,^^  then  church  meml)er- 
ship  should  go  always  with  the  pastorate. 

Whether  a  member  of  the  cliurch  he  serves  or  not,  the 
pastor  has  the  right  to  preside  over  church  meetings ;  for  the 
call  to  the  office  of  pastor  includes  this  right  among  others. 
Of  course,  if  the  meeting  pertain  to  himself,  his  call,  salary, 
dismissal,  or  discipline,  propriety  requires  that  he  vacate  the 
chair  and,  in  other  matters  than  discipline,  the  room.  This 
right  was  recognized  by  Uphani  as  early  as  1844,  for  he  says: 
"•  The  practice  of  the  churches  permits  him  to  act  as  the 
moderator  of  the  church  ex  officio;  and  that,  too,  whether 
he  has  become  a  member  or  not,  .  .  .  because,  holding  the 
pastoral  office,  he  has  the  implied  consent  and  approval  of 
the  brethren  in  the  discharge  of  that  duty."  ^^  If  a  member 
of  the  church,  he  can  vote,  like  any  other  member,  and  break 
a  tie-vote  as  moderator ;  but  if  he  be  not  a  member  of  the 
church  he  serves,  his  election  as  its  pastor  does  not  give  him 
the  right  to  vote,  or  the  right  to  break  a  tie-vote  as  modera- 
tor. This  right  can,  however,  be  conferred  on  him  as  pastor 
by  the  standing  rules  of  the  church.  It  is  seldom  wise  to 
determine  church  action  by  a  tie-vote.  A  measure  which 
can  not  command  a  majority  of  lay  votes  should  ordinarily  be 
allowed  to  fail. 

(5)  As  the  membership  of  ministers  is  dual,  so  their 
accountability  is  dual.  As  Christians  they  are  subject  to 
the  care  and  discipline,  like  other  members,  of  the  churches 
of  which  they  are  members ;  but  as  ministers  they  are  sul>- 
ject  to  the  association  or  confederation  of  churches  where 
they  belong.  Of  this  we  have  spoken  elsewheie  (§§  123- 
125).  Of  their  church  accountability  we  need  to  speak. 
Paul  said  to  the  Ephesian  elders :  "  Take  heed  unto  j-our- 
selves,  and  to  all  the  flock,  in  the  which   the   Holy  Ghost 

•s  Cam.  Plat.  ch.  i.v,  6,  7;  De.xter's  Congregationalism,  l.')0,  with  notes. 
19  Ratio  Discip.  §  85,  2. 


176  THE  CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

hath  made  you  bishops"  (Acts  20:  28).  They  were  in  the 
church,  not  over  it,  subject  to  its  watch-care  in  some  particu- 
hirs  no  doubt,  like  other  members  (Matt.  18:  15-18).  The 
right  of  election  involves  the  right  of  removal  and  discipline. 
Even  the  apostles  were  not  above  all  responsibility  to  the 
brethren.  Peter  was  called  to  account  for  visiting  Cornelius 
(Acts  11 :  2, 18).  The  church  at  Antiocli  sent  out  missiona- 
ries and  received  their  report  on  returning  (Acts  13  :  2  ;  14  : 
27).  The  same  church  took  the  initiative  in  healing  dissen- 
sions (Acts  15:  2).  The  church  at  Ephesus  called  those 
claiming  to  be  apostles  to  account  (Rev.  2:  2).  The  church 
in  Thyatira  is  blamed  for  suffering  a  false  prophetess  to 
seduce  its  members  (Rev.  2 :  20). 

These  passages  would  seem  to  go  beyond  church  member- 
ship, and  refer  to  ministerial  meml)ership  or  functions,  and 
so  make  bishops  subject  in  all  respects  to  the  churches  they 
serve.  This  is  confirmed  by  "  The  Teaching  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles "  on  bishops  and  deacons.  The  churches  were  to 
ajDpoint  for  themselves  these  officers  ;  were  told  not  to  despise 
them,  but  "  reprove  one  another,  not  in  anger,  but  in  peace, 
as  ye  have  it  in  the  gospel."  '^^  The  church  in  Corinth  went 
so  far  as  to  depose  elders,  ''men  of  excellent  behaviour,"  from 
their  office.^i  At  a  time  when  the  confederation  of  independ- 
ent churches  could  not  be  had,  each  church,  while  recogniz- 
ing the  ministry  of  other  churches,  had  no  way  of  conferring 
with  other  churches  about  them,  and  had  therefore  to  act  for 
itself.  This  right  belongs  to  the  essence  of  church  independ- 
ency. But  while  holding  this  right  firmly,  another  principle 
comes  in  to  modify  it,  namely  :  the  fellowship  of  the  churches. 
It  is  a  matter  of  concern  to  all,  touching  the  welfare  of  all, 
what  the  ministry  shall  be.  Hence  in  the  recognition  of  the 
ministerial  function  and  call  in  ordination,  those  churches  in 
the  vicinity  most  affected  thereby  should  be  consulted  in 
said  ordination.  The  same  is  true  of  the  discipline  and 
deposition  of  ministers.     While  each  church  can  ordain  and 

2"  Chap.  XV.  "  Clement  Romanus,  Ep.  Cor.  xliv. 


INAUGURATION-  OF  PASTOBS.  177 

depose  its  own  bishops,  in  virtue  of  its  autonomy,  yet  if  ordi- 
nation be  an  ecclesiastical  recognition  of  a  divine  call  into 
the  ministry,  the  function  and  call  can  not  be  limited  to 
one  local  church.  Hence  the  ecclesiastical  recognition  should 
be  wider  than  that  of  one  church,  and  the  ministerial  stand- 
ing and  accountability  should  also  be  wider.  Thus  by  reason 
of  the  fraternity  of  the  churches  and  the  ministerial  function 
of  the  church-kingdom,  ministers,  whether  pastors  or  not, 
should  be  dealt  with  in  a  wa}'  that  recognizes  both  the  inde- 
pendence of  local  churches  and  their  ministerial  function. 
They  are  more  than  church  members :  they  are  also  church 
officers.  They  are  more  than  church  officers :  they  are  also 
ministers  of  Christ ;  and  they  should  be  so  treated.  Hence 
there  arises  accountable  ministerial  standing  in  associations 
of  independent  churches  (§§  123-125). 

(6)  The  inauguration  of  ministers  into  the  pastorate. 
This  may  have  been  by  the  laying  on  of  hands  and  prayer  at 
their  ordination,  but  we  have  no  proof  of  it.  The  Revised 
Version  changes  "  ordain  "  to  appoint  (Acts  14  :  23  ;  Titus 
1:5).  Whatever  ceremony  was  had  on  the  inauguration  of 
pastors,  it  was  performed  by  the  church  itself  or  by  the 
apostles  on  behalf  of  the  church,  for  only  to  these  was 
the  power  of  the  keys  given.  No  ceremony  was  necessary, 
no  council  of  churches  was  necessary,  to  constitute  an 
elected  minister  a  pastor.  He  is  pastor  in  virtue  of  his  ac- 
ceptance of  the  office.  "  The  essence  and  substance  of  the 
outward  calling  of  an  ordinary  officer  in  the  church  doth  not 
consist  in  his  ordination,  but  in  his  voluntary  and  free  elec- 
tion by  the  church,  and  in  his  accepting  of  that  election.  .  . 
Ordination  doth  not  constitute  an  officer  nor  give  him  the 
essentials  of  his  office."^  "Officers  chosen  by  the  church 
are  also  to  be  ordained  by  it  with  prayer,  and,  customarily, 
with  laying  on  of  hands."  ^ 

Installation,  then,  is  not  essential  to  the  pastorate.     Elec- 
ts Cam.  Plat.  chap,  ix,  2. 
"  Boston  riat.  part  ii,  chap,  v,  4;  Miuutes  National  Council,  1S83,  72,  73. 


178  THE  CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

tion  and  acceptance  are  its  essence  and  substance.  There 
is  no  fundamental  difference  therefore  between  a  pastor  in- 
stalled and  a  pastor  uninstalled,  or,  as  it  has  hitherto  been 
published  in  our  minutes  and  Year  Books,  but  not  in  any 
other  Congregational  Year  Books  in  the  world,  between 
''pastors"  and  "acting  pastors."  This  has  been  fully  dis- 
cussed in  another  place.^  The  object  of  this  "invidious  dis- 
tinction "  is  ministerial  accountability.  But  even  here  it 
fails  to  reach  two  thirds  of  those  in  our  active  ministry,  and 
three  fourths  of  our  whole  ministry.  It  consequently  fails 
as  a  safeguard  of  purity.  A  complete  and  safe  mode  of 
ministerial  accountability  in  associations  of  churches  must 
speedily  replace  it  (§§  122-125). 

§  132.  There  were  also  deacons  in  the  churches.  They 
were  church  officers  after  elders  or  bishops,  and  are  four 
times  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament  (Rom.  16 :  1 ;  Phil. 
1:  1;  1  Tim.  3:  8,  12).  The  word  translated  deacon  signi- 
fies "a  waiter,  attendant,  servant,  minister."  It  is  used 
thirty  times  in  the  New  Testament,  and  is  in  the  Revised 
Version  rendered  servant,  deacon,  minister.  "  Bishops  and 
deacons  "  are  joined  in  "  The  Teaching  of  the  Twelve  Apos- 
tles "  2'^  as  the  permanent  officers  of  a  church. 

(1)  The  office  of  deacon  originated  in  a  want.  The 
charitable  ministration  of  the  apostles  did  not  suit  all  mem- 
bers of  the  church  at  Jerusalem.  Hence  they  called  fOr  the 
election  by  the  church  of  seven  almoners  to  have  charge  of 
this  ministration  (Acts  6 :  1-6).  These  seven  are  nowhere 
called  deacons,  but  the  office  and  name  are  to  be  traced  to 
their  election,  as  their  great  duty  is  given  as  serving  tables  — 
"  to  deacon  tables."  No  elders  had  yet  been  appointed,  as 
the  apostles  gave  themselves  —  twelve  in  this  one  church  — 
steadfastly  to  prayer  and  the  ministry  of  the  Word.  Hence- 
forth there  was  to  be  a  division  of  labors  in  the  church. 

(2)  The  duties  of  deacons  are  learned  from  the  cause  of 
their  election.     "Widows  were  neglected  in  the  daily  minis- 

2<  43  Bib.  Sacra,  401-422.  25  Chap.  xv. 


DEACONS.  179 

tration,"  and  so  the  apostles  said  to  "  the  multitude  of  the 
disciples  "  :  '^  It  is  not  fit  that  we  should  forsake  the  word  of 
God,  and  serve  tables."  Then  seven  men  "  of  good  report, 
full  of  the  Spirit  and  of  wisdom,"  were  elected  and  ordained 
"  over  this  business,"  that  the  apostles  •  might  "  continue 
steadfastly  in  prayer,  and  in  the  ministry  of  the  word." 
A  clear  distinction  is  here  drawn  between  the  business  and 
charitable  affairs  of  a  church,  and  the  proper  work  of  the 
ministry.  The  elders  are  concerned  with  the  ministry  of  the 
Word  and  prayer ;  but  it  is  the  duty  of  deacons  to  look  after 
the  benevolences  and  other  business.  The  deacons  were  not 
also  ministers  of  the  Word.  Their  duties  were :  to  care  for 
the  poor  and  sick  ;  to  look  after  the  business  affairs  of  the 
church ;  to  counsel  with  and  advise  the  pastor ;  to  assist  at 
the  sacraments  ;  and  to  exercise  a  subordinate  oversight  of 
the  church  in  spiritual  matters,  but  not  to  preach  the  gospel. 

(3)  The  office  in  its  nature  is  therefore  lay  and  not  clerical. 
The  diaconate  is  not  an  order  in  the  ministry  of  the  Word ; 
it  is  expressly  an  office  for  the  ministrj'-  of  tables.  This  is 
p»'Oved  from  their  original  appointment,  their  qualifications, 
and  the  appointment  of  women  to  this  office  (Rom.  16:  1; 
1  Tim.  3 :  11),  who  are  excluded  from  the  ministry  of  the 
Word  (1  Cor.  14:  34-36). 

(4)  The  qualifications  for  the  diaconate  may  be  given, 
since  not  every  one  fit  to  be  a  church  member  is  fit  also  to  be 
a  deacon  —  a  fact  made  clear  by  the  following  prerequisites : 
deacons  must  be  (1)  spiritual :  "  full  of  the  Spirit " ;  (2) 
orthodox :  "  holding  the  mystery  of  the  faith  in  a  pure 
conscience  "  ;  (3)  wise :  "  grave,"  "  full  of  wisdom  "  ;  (4) 
moral :  "  not  double-tongued,  not  slanderers,"  "  temperate," 
"  not  given  to  much  wine,"  "  not  greedy  of  filthy  lucre  " ; 
(5)  faithful:  "faithful  in  all  things,"  "ruling  their  children 
and  their  own  houses  well  "  ;  (6)  reputable  :  "  men  of  good 
report,"  "  blameless  "  ;  (7)  approved :  "  and  let  these  also 
first  be  proved ;  then  let  them  serve  as  deacons " ;  and 
(8)  married :  "  let  deacons  be  husbands  of  one  wife  "  (Acts 


180  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

6 :  3 ;  1  Tim.  3 :  8-12).  Many  are  fit  to  be  church  mem- 
bers who  have  not  attained  unto  this  high  standard.  No 
qualification  refers  to  ability  to  teach  or  preach,  or  limits 
the  office  to  males.  Women  filled  the  office,  since  the  customs 
of  those  days  precluded  in  many  cases  the  ministry  of  men 
where  deaconesses  could  be  serviceable.  There  still  is  need 
of  deaconesses  in  missionary  churches,  and  even  in  home 
churches. 

(5)  Deacons  and  deaconesses  should  be  set  apart  to  their 
office  by  the  laying  on  of  hands  and  prayer.  They  were  in 
this  manner  at  first  ordained  (Acts  Q:  Q^.  This  ordination 
ought  still  to  be  had,  that  the  office  may  be  more  honored. 
It  is  a  great  loss  to  the  churches  that  the  functions  of  the 
diaconate  have  in  the  public  estimation  shrunken  into  the 
distribution  of  the  elements  at  the  Eucharist.  Ordination 
lifts  the  office  into  a  higher  standing. 

(6)  The  authority  of  the  diaconate  is  more  of  function 
than  of  rule.  It  is  a  church's  hand  caring  for  its  non- 
ministerial  wants.  As  those  wants  continue,  the  diaconate 
continues,  and  will  ever  continue.  The  office  is  one  of  great 
honor  and  has  its  rich  rewards  for  all  who  fill  it  well  (1  Tim. 
3  :  13).  The  church  which  elects  can  also  for  cause  vacate 
the  office.  Deacons  are  under  the  pastor  and  the  church  in 
a  rule  of  love.  Blessed  is  the  church  that  has  wise  deacons, 
full  of  the  Spirit,  and  of  good  report.  Polycarp  (a.d.  100- 
155)  speaks  of  "being  subject  to  the  presbyters  and  deacons, 
as  unto  God  and  Christ."  ^  But  Ignatius  (a.d.  30-107)  says 
that  a  deacon  is  "subject  to  the  bishop  as  to  the  grace  of 
God,  and  to  the  presbytery  as  to  the  law  of  Jesus  Christ."  ^^ 

(7)  Some  churches,  in  order  to  secure  the  best  men  for 
deacons,  and  to  have  an  easy  relief  from  unsuitable  deacons, 
by  standing  rule  elect  deacons  for  a  term  of  three  or  five 
years,  one  going  out  annually,  with  the  proviso  that  no  one 
shall  be  reelected  to  the  office  until  the  expiration  of  one 
year  from  the  time  he  ceased  to  be  deacon.     This  prevents 

26  Ep.  Phil.  chap.  v.  "  Ep.  Mag.  chap.  ii. 


BULING   ELDEBS.  181 

friction,  as  each  vacancy  that  occnis  must  be  filled  by  an- 
other than  the  retiring  deacon. 

§  133.  We  need  to  examine  the  supposed  office  of  ruling 
elder  in  the  churches.  We  have  already  seen  that  there  was 
a  presbytery  of  elders  in  each  church.  These  presbyters  are 
sometimes  spoken  of  as  ruling,  as  ruling  well,  as  having  the 
rule.  What  were  these  elders?  Importance  is  given  the 
question  in  certain  quarters  by  the  action  of  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States 
in  1833,  which  declared  the  ruling,  or  lay,  eldership  to  be 
"essential  to  the  existence  of  a  Presbyterian  Church." 2« 

(1)  There  are  two  theories  of  the  ruling  eldership.  One 
is  that  of  our  Congregational  fathers,  wliich  makes  ruling 
elders,  presbyters,  bishops,  pastors,  or  ministers,  all  being  of 
one  and  the  same  grade,  class,  rank,  or  order  of  officers  in 
the  churches,  with  a  diversity  of  functions  only.  The  five 
most  distinguished  Independent  divines  in  the  "Westminster 
Assembly  (1643-1647)  held  that  ruling  elders  are  ministe- 
rial, not  lay,  persons.29  The  Cambridge  Platform  (1648) 
takes  the  same  view.^^  This  has  always  been  the  view  of 
Congregationalists. 

The  otlier  theory,  and  tlie  one  of  the  Presbyterian  stand- 
ards, is  that  ruling  elders  are  laymen  and  not  ministers,  and 
hence  that  they  can  not  ordain  or  join  in  the  imposition  of 
hands  in  ordination,  or  administer  the  sealing  ordinances.^^ 

(2)  The  duties  of  ruling  elders  depend  somewhat  upon 
the  theory  of  their  office,  whether  it  be  a  lay  or  a  ministerial 
office.  ''Most  of  the  churches  of  New  England,  for  some 
time  after  the  settlement  of  the  country,  had,  besides  a 
pastor  and  a  teacher  and  two  or  more  deacons,  a  ruling 
elder,  or  ruling  elders,  whose  '  business,'  says  the  author  of 
Ratio  Disciplina",  '  it  was  to  assist  the  pastor  in  visiting  the 
distressed,  instructing  the  ignorant,  reducing  the  erroneous, 

28  Moore's  Difrest  ;1S7:5) ,  113.  -^  Haubury'.*  Memorials,  ii,  224. 

so  Chap,  vi,  4;  vii,  1,  2. 

s>  Moore's  I'lesby.  Digest  (1873),  114-na;  Hodge's  Cli.  Polity,  127, 12S,  2S5-294. 


182  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

comforting  the  afflicted,  rebuking  the  unruly,  discovering 
the  state  of  the  whole  flock,  exercising  the  discipline  of  the 
gospel  upon  offenders,  and  promoting  the  desirable  growth 
of  the  church.'  "  ^^  "  When  a  minister  preached  to  any  other 
than  his  own  church,  the  ruling  elder  of  the  church,  after 
the  psalm  sung,  said  publicly :  '  If  this  present  brother  hath 
any  word  of  exhortation  for  the  people  at  this  time,  in  the 
name  of  God  let  him  say  on.'  The  ruling  elder  always  read 
the  psalm.  When  the  member  of  one  church  desired  to 
receive  the  sacrament  at  another,  he  came  to  the  ruling  elder, 
who  proposed  his  name  to  the  church  for  their  consent.  At 
the  communion  they  sat  with  the  minister."  ^ 

Under  the  theory  of  a  lay  eldership,  ruling  elders  exercise 
in  the  Presbyterian  Church  "government  and  discipline,  in 
conjunction  with  pastors  or  ministers."  They  may  not  "  par- 
ticipate in  the  ordination  of  ministers  by  the  laying  on  of 
hands,"  nor  "administer  sealing  ordinances,"  but  may  "ex- 
plain the  Scriptures  and  exhort  in  the  absence  of  the  pastor." 
They,  with  the  pastor  or  pastors,  constitute  the  session  of  a 
particular  church,  which  session  is  "  charged  with  maintain- 
ing the  spiritual  government  of  the  congregation  "  ;  to  receive, 
discipline,  and  dismiss  members  ;  "  to  concert  the  best  meas- 
ures for  promoting  the  spiritual  interests  of  the  congregation, 
and  to  appoint  delegates  to  the  higher  judicatories  of  the 
church."^ 

(3)  The  ruling  elders  of  the  New  Testament  were  minis- 
ters, and  not  laymen.  There  is  no  evidence  whatever  that 
they  were  laymen  elected  to  rule.  The  passages  adduced 
for  a  lay  eldership  do  not  support  it.  The  words :  "  he  that 
ruleth,  with  diligence  "  (Rom.  12  :  8),  apply  equally  to  either 
theory,  if  they  refer  to  church  officers  at  all.  The  immediate 
context  would  make  them  apply  to  private  Christians  or  to 
the  deacons.  No  proof  can  be  drawn  from  the  passage. 
"Governments"  (  1  Cor.  12:  28)  is  rendered  in  the  margin 

'■"■'-  Form  and  Covenant  of  Old  South  Ch.  Boston,  1841,  4. 

"3  llutcliinson's  fflst.  Mass.  i,  376.  ^*  Moore's  Presby.  Digest,  114, 116,  117, 127. 


RULING  ELDERS.  183 

"wise  counsels."  It  may  cover  "elders,  bishops,  pastors, 
rulers,  presidents,  or  moderators,"  and  is  no  proof  for  lay 
eldership.  Nor  is  such  an  eldership  found  in  the  crucial 
text :  "  Let  the  elders  that  rule  well  be  counted  worthy  of 
double  honour,  especially  those  who  labour  in  the  word  and  in 
teaching"  (1  Tim.  5 :  17).  For,  in  the  first  place,  the  honor 
referred  to  is  not  of  place,  rank,  dignity,  power,  but  of  sup- 
port. This  is  proved  by  the  context.  Tertullian  alone  of 
the  ante-Nicene  Christian  writers  refers  to  this  "double 
honour,"  and  reproves  the  giving  of  a  double  portion  to  "  pre- 
siding bishops"  at  meals.^^  And,  in  the  second  place,  the 
word  translated  "especially"  always  distinguishes  between 
members  of  the  same  class,  and  never  between  members  of 
different  classes.  This  is  conclusive  against  lay  eldership. 
These  three  texts  are  all  that  can  be  found  for  lay  elders. 
"No  footsteps  are  to  be  found  in  any  Christian  church  of 
lay  elders,  nor  were  there  for  many  hundred  years."  ^  The 
ruling  eldership  of  the  New  Testament  is  ministerial. 

(4)  The  theory  of  the  lay  eldership  is  falling.  This  is 
manifest.  In  a  paper  read  before  the  Second  General  Coun- 
cil of  the  Presbyterian  Alliance  (1880)  on  "  Ruling  Elders," 
it  is  not  once  claimed  that  ruling  elders  are  laymen.  The 
opposite  seems  to  have  been  silently  conceded.-^"  Prof. 
E.  D.  Morris,  d.d.,  of  the  Lane  Presbyterian  Theological 
Seminary,  says:  "1  Tim.  5:  17  really  exhibits  no  distinction 
in  office,  but  simply  a  recognition  of  superiority  in  the  pri- 
mary function  of  instruction."  ^  Dr.  Philip  Schaff  says  of 
the  distinction  between  two  kinds  of  elders :  "  It  is  a  con- 
venient arrangement  of  Reformed  Churches,  but  can  hardly 
claim  apostolic  sanction,  since  the  one  passage  on  which  it 
rests  only  speaks  of  two  functions  in  the  same  office."  ^  Dr. 
R.  D.  Hitchcock,  professor  in  the  Union  Presbyterian  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  in  reviewing  a  work  by  Rev.  Dr.  P.  C. 
Campbell,  of  Scotland,  in  which  the  lay  eldership  is  surren- 

35  On  Fasting,  xvii.  =«  Lange's  Com.  on  1  Tim.  5 :  17. 

3T  IToceedings,  16.i-176.  »«  Ecclesiology,  141.  »"  Hist.  Christ.  Ch.  i,  496. 


184  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

dered,  says :  "  The  drift  of  critical  opinion  is  now  decidedly 
in  this  direction.  It  is  beginning  to  be  conceded,  even 
among  Presb3-terians  of  the  stanchest  sort,  that  Calvin  was 
mistaken  in  his  interpretation  of  1  Tim.  5 :  17  ;  that  two 
orders  of  presbyters  are  not  there  brought  to  view,  but  only 
one  order;  the  difference  referred  to  being  simply  that  of 
service,  and  not  of  rank.  .  .  .  The  jure  divino  theory  of  the 
lay  eldership  is  steadily  losing  ground."  "•  We  might  easily 
be  rid  of  it  any  day  by  ordaining  our  lay  elders  and  making 
them  ministers  of  the  Word  and  dispensers  of  the  sacra- 
ments."^ Such  a  change  in  Presbyterianism  would  make 
its  government  "a  clerical  despotism."'*^  It  would  rule  out 
the  people  completely,  since  the  power  of  ordination  in  that 
polity  resides  wholly  in  the  ministry,  lay  ruling  elders  not 
being  permitted,  as  we  have  seen,  to  have  part  in  it. 

§  1-34.  There  is  need  of  some  board  of  rulers  in  the  local 
churches.  This  need  is  met  by  either  theory  of  the  ruling 
eldership ;  but  one,  and  the  only  true,  theory  makes  that  rule 
clerical  or  ministerial ;  the  other  and  failing  theory  makes  it 
laical,  since  the  elders  are  the  "  representatives  of  the  people, 
chosen  by  them  for  the  purpose  of  exercising  government 
and  discipline,  in  conjunction  with  pastors  or  ministers."^ 
Our  early  New  England  fathers  had  two  ways  of  escaping 
clerical  rule  on  their  true  theory  of  the  eldership :  the  jfirst 
was  in  reserving  to  the  church  itself  the  right  and  power  of 
admissions,  dismissals,  discipline,  and  general  management 
of  affairs  ;  and  the  second  was  in  relying  on  the  magistrates, 
elected  chiefly  by  laymen,  for  protection  from  heresy,  schism, 
and  disorders.*'^  In  a  Congregational  church  the  power  of 
ruling  elders  is  subordinate  to  the  church  itself;  while  in  the 
Presbyterian  polity  the  session  governs  the  church  and 
chooses  all  representatives  to  higher  judicatories.  To  retain 
its  popular  element,  that  polity  must  justify  its  lay  eldership 
somehow.     It'^  jure  divino  claim  is  being  surrendered  and  will 

*»  Presby.  Theol.  Rev.  for  1868.  "  Hodge's  Church  Polity,  128, 129. 

*-  Presby.  Form  of  Government,  chap.  v.  ■•'  Cain.  Plat.  chap.  xvii. 


THE   CHURCH  BOABD.  185 

have  to  go.  But  Professor  Hitchcock  says  :  "  A  better  support 
is  sought  for  it  in  the  New  Testament  recognition  throughout 
of  the  right  and  propriety  of  lay  participation  in  church  gov- 
ernment ;  in  the  general  right  of  the  churcli,  as  set  forth  by 
Hooker  in  his  li^cclesiastical  Polity,  to  govern  itself  by  what- 
soever form  it  pleases."  ^^  This  is  a  sad  descent  from  a  jure 
divino  claim,  a  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord,"  to  expediency  or 
ecclesiastical  rationalism.  With  the  fall  of  lay  ruling  elder- 
ship falls  the  claim  of  a  Scriptural  warrant  for  the  higher 
judicatories,  and  Presbyterian  government  becomes  clerical 
rule. 

§  135.  The  need  of  a  governing  board  within  the  church 
may  be  Scripturally  met  in  this  way:  There  was  at  first 
a  presbytery  of  presbyters,  or  bishops,  in  every  church  (§  131  : 
2),  and  there  may  be  again,  as  occasion  demands ;  there  are 
deacons  in  each  churcli  (§  132)  ;  each  church  has  the  right 
to  delegate  its  powers  and  functions,  in  certain  particulars,  to 
committees  or  commissioners  (§  100 :  3)  ;  let  now  the  pas- 
tor or  presbytery,  the  deacons,  and  a  committee  chosen,  by 
the  church  for  the  purpose,  constitute  a  church  board,  whose 
action  must  in  matters  of  general  concern  be  endorsed  by 
vote  of  the  church  to  become  effective,  and  we  have  an  au- 
thorized board  within  the  church.  Nearly  all  our  churches 
have  such  a  church  board,  named  by  different  names,  but 
composed  as  above  described.  The  church  board  is,  perhaps, 
the  best  name  for  it.  All  the  elements  composing  it  are  au- 
thorized in  the  Word  of  God,  as  also  the  limitation  of  its 
powers  (§§98,  99:  2,  3).  Such  a  board  of  rule  does  not 
discredit  the  diaconate,  as  the  lay  ruling  eldership  has  done, 
until  in  some  instances  it  ceases  to  be  filled  at  all.  Hence 
the  appointment  of  deacons  in  Presbyterian  churches  has  to 
be  urged  and  enjoined ;  for  "  the  disuse  of  this  Scriptural  and 
important  office,  it  can  not  be  douljted,  has  done  great  injury 
to  the  churches,  as  well  as  induced  vague  and  erroneous  views 
in  regard  to  the  nature  and  importance  of  the  office."  *'^ 

"  I'resb.  Tlieol.  Rev.  IS^V-^.  *■>  Bird's  Presby.  Digest,  64,  note. 


186  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

§  136.  The  duties  of  such  a  cliurch  board  may  be  defined 
as  the  examination  of  candidates  for  admission  to  church 
privileges  ;  the  general  oversight  and  control  of  the  spiritual 
interests  of  the  church ;  all  preliminary  inquiries  into  com- 
plaints against  church  members;  the  presentation  of  cases 
of  discipline  to  the  church ;  the  trial  of  all  difilicult  cases,  if 
so  ordered  by  the  church,  with  recommendations  for  action 
thereon ;  and  the  devising  of  ways  and  means  for  the  purity, 
peace,  and  prosperity  of  the  church  ;  but  in  all  these  cases 
the  board  must  report  to  the  church  for  final  action  its  doings 
and  recommendations. 

The  function  of  such  a  board  is  most  important  for  the 
welfare  of  any  church.  Its  scope  may  well  be  enlarged,  and 
that  too  without  danger.  Such  a  church  board  is  not  the 
plural  eldership  of  the  primitive  churches,  nor  the  ruling  eld- 
ership of  the  Reformed  Churches,  nor  a  wholly  unwarranted 
body.  It  does  not  make  a  church  Presbyterian.  It  does 
give  a  local  church  rulers  such  as  the  Scriptures  and  the 
apostolic  fathers  warrant,  who  are  not  over  and  above  the 
church,  but  in  it,  responsible  to  it,  doing  its  work,  reporting 
to  it.  So  far  as  the  ministry  of  the  Word  is  concerned,  such 
church  board  does  not  equal  in  efficiency  the  primitive  plu- 
rality of  elders  in  every  church ;  but  it  does  put  into  every 
church  a  board  of  administration  and  stability  which  is  greatly 
needed,  and  will  be  of  untold  value  when  fully  and  rightly 
worked. 

§  137.  In  every  well-organized  society  there  must  needs 
be  a  clerk  or  record  keeper.  The  fact  that  there  is  no  men- 
tion of  such  an  officer  in  the  primitive  churches  is  no  proof 
that  they  had  none,  or  that  churches  should  not  have  a  record 
keeper  in  after  times.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance,  though 
not  essential  to  the  being  of  a  church,  that  the  proceedings 
of  a  church  be  properly  entered  on  some  record,  and  so  pre- 
served. It  tends  to  order,  regularity,  peace,  prosperity,  legal 
security,  to  keep  a  journal.  Each  church  should  elect  a 
clerk. 


CHURCH  CLERK.  187 

(1)  The  qualifications  for  the  office  of  clerk  are  of  nature 
and  of  grace.  Not  every  good  man  is  capable  of  being 
a  good  scribe  or  clerk.  He  must  have  natural  gifts  and  ac- 
quired habits.  He  must  see  to  it  that  all  things  in  church 
meetings  are  done  legally,  decently,  and  in  order,  and  that 
a  true  record  be  made  of  the  proceedings.  He  needs  to  be 
versed  in  Congregational  usages  and  parliamentary  rules. 
He  needs  to  know  what  business  should  come  before  the 
church  meeting,  and  how  it  should  be  introduced,  that  he 
may  aid  the  moderator  in  the  public  business.  He  should  be 
the  fittest  person  in  the  church,  except  the  pastor.  The  pas- 
tor is  moderator,  and  should  in  no  case  be  also  clerk. 

(2)  The  duties  of  a  church  clerk  are  similar  to  those  of 
the  secretary  or  scribe  of  any  permanent  body.  He  is  to  take 
minutes  of  all  proceedings,  which,  however,  are  private  mem- 
oranda, though  recorded  in  the  church  bock,  until  adopted 
by  the  church ;  he  must  see  to  it,  therefore,  that  the  minutes 
are  properly  adopted.  He  conducts  correspondence  for  the 
church ;  gives  notices  of  all  business  meetings,  unless  other- 
wise provided  for ;  keeps  a  roll  of  church  members,  with  ad- 
ditions, dismissions,  excommunications,  deaths,  baptism  of 
infants  and  adults ;  preserves  on  file,  or  otherwise,  all  letters, 
reports,  communications,  notices,  papers,  books,  journals,  etc., 
and  transmits  them  to  his  successor.  He  is  not  their  owner, 
but  their  custodian.  He  has  no  right  to  withliold  them  from 
the  church,  or  committee  of  the  church,  or  any  legal  representa- 
tive of  the  church,  or  to  destroy  them.  He  must  not  allow 
any  alterations  of  the  minutes  after  they  have  been  approved 
by  the  church.  He  should  prepare  the  reports  for  state  min- 
utes. He  should  prepare  for  each  business  meeting  an  order 
of  business  for  the  use  of  the  moderator. 

As  he  is  the  proper  channel  of  communication  between  the 
church  and  other  bodies  or  persons,  it  is  important  that  his 
name  be  published  in  the  minutes  of  state  associations. 

§  138.  A  very  important  office  is  that  of  treasurer. 
Judas  the  traitor,  who  had  "the  bag,"  who  was  "a  thief," 


188  THE  CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

and  who  "took  away  what  was  put  therein"  (John  12:  6), 
was  not  a  church  treasurer ;  for  the  apostles  were  not 
a  church,  and  besides,  he  hved  and  died  under  the  Mosaic  dis-- 
pensation.  The  apostles  were,  after  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the 
first  church  treasurers.  Their  duties  became  in  time  so  Inn- 
densome  that  seven  almoners  were  chosen  for  '•'•  this  business  " 
(Acts  6 :  1-6).  Their  services  included  the  support  of  the 
ministry  of  the  Word  as  well  as  assistance  for  the  widows 
and  the  poor  and  sick. 

(1)  This  pecuniary  function  of  the  church  is  perpetual, 
and  needs  therefore  recognition  in  an  appropriate  office. 
Paul,  though  declaring  that  his  hands  had  ministered  unto 
his  necessities  (Acts  20  :  34),  claimed  the  right  of  support 
at  the  hands  of  the  churches  (2  Thess.  3 :  9 ;  1  Cor.  9 : 
4-14),  and  claimed  support  for  the  ministry,  saying,  "Even 
so  did  the  Lord  ordain  that  they  which  proclaim  the  gospel 
should  live  of  the  gospel "  (1  Cor.  9  :  14).  Such  being  the 
permanent  law  of  the  Christian  dispensation,  it  follows  that 
some  one  or  more  in  every  church  should  be  assigned  to  this 
special  duty  of  receiving  and  disbursing  funds  for  that  and 
other  purposes.  They  who  are  called  to  this  duty  are  called 
treasurers.  As  in  all  fiduciary  trusts,  they  must  keep  an  ac- 
curate account  of  all  moneys  received  and  disbursed,  obey 
the  vote  of  the  church,  be  prompt  in  all  payments,  and 
make  an  itemized  report  of  the  treasury  statedly  to  the 
church. 

(2)  The  church  should  choose  the  man  best  fitted  for  the 
position  as  treasurer.  He  needs  to  be  honest,  capable,  exact, 
prompt,  affable,  one  who  can  dun  without  offence,  and  who 
feels  the  wants  of  the  pastor  as  his  own.  Men  will  not  freely 
contribute  through  a  treasurer  whose  honesty  or  even  accu- 
racy they  question.     The  treasurer  must  be  above  suspicion. 

(3)  Many  Congregational  churches  are  fettered  by  parish 
societies  (§§  229-231),  making  an  unscriptural  division  be- 
tween the  spiritual  and  the  secular  affairs  of  a  church,  com- 
pelling two  organizations,  with  separate   functions,  records. 


CHURCH  AND  PARISH   TREASURERS.  189 

treasurers.  We  must  therefore  distinguish,  when  such  is  the 
case,  between  the  church  treasurer  and  the  j^arish  treasurer. 

(a)  The  church  treasurer,  in  this  case,  confines  his  olhcial 
duties  to  the  missionary,  benevolent,  and  charitable  funds  of 
the  church,  leaving  all  the  other  financial  concerns  to  the 
parish  treasurer. 

(5)  The  parish  treasurer,  on  the  other  hand,  confines  his 
ofiicial  oversight  to  the  funds  given  or  bequeathed  for  church 
or  parsonage  building,  repairs,  pastor's  salary,  salary  or  pay 
of  others,  and  whatever  expenses  are  incurred  by  the  legal 
corporation,  leaving  missionary  and  benevolent  and  charitable 
funds  to  the  church  treasurer. 

(c)  Hence  one  man  ought  not  generally  to  be  treasurer  of 
both  organizations.  The  two  bodies,  with  their  funds  and 
objects,  are  so  separate  and  yet  so  interwoven  that  to  avoid 
confusion,  or  the  subordination  of  one  of  them  to  the  other, 
the  treasurers  should  be  different  men  with  different  books 
and  reports.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  parish,  born  of  the 
union  of  State  and  Church,  will  soon  give  way,  and  leave  the 
churches  in  the  normal  simplicity  of  the  New  Testament. 

§  139.  A  church,  like  any  other  independent  society,  can 
api)oint  special  committees  at  any  time  for  any  legitimate 
purpose.  Such  committees  are  needed.  A  committee  may 
be  empowered  by  vote  of  a  church  to  conduct  as  a  jury 
a  trial  of  a  member  in  case  of  great  length  or  delicacy 
(§  174).  There  may  be  committees  on  supply  of  the  pulpit, 
on  music,  on  any  matter  of  interest.  The  church  acts 
through  these  committees,  and  more  efficiently  than  it  could 
as  a  body.  These  committees,  after  they  have  finished  their 
work,  report  to  the  church  ;  and  thereupon,  unless  they  are 
standing  committees,  cease  to  exist.  "  A  committee  ceases 
to  exist  as  soon  as  the  assembly  receives  the  report,"  "  and 
can  not  act  further  unless  revived  by  a  vote  to  re-commit"  ^ 
or  to  continue  the  committee. 

We  have  now  considered  all  actual  and  possible  church 

«i  Robert's  Rules  of  Order,  §§  28,  30. 


190  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

officers  ill  an  independent  church.  Any  new  need  may  be 
met  by  some  special  committee.  Even  the  Sunday-school 
superintendent  of  the  home  church  should  thus  be  a  church 
officer  (§  210)  ;  and  a  church  can  appoint  members  to  have 
charge  of  mission  schools,  and  designate  the  teachers  in  the 
home  and  mission  schools. 

§  140.  We  need  to  remind  all  church  officers  that  they 
are  in  the  church,  not  over  it.  The  ministry  is  especially 
liable  to  forget  this,  because  of  its  independence,  in  some 
respects  (§  113  :  4),  of  the  churches.  Their  ministerial  func- 
tion (§  111),  recognized  in  ordination  (§  121),  gives  them  in 
itself  no  right,  authoritj',  or  privilege  in  any  church,  until 
that  church  b}'  vote  empowers  them  to  act  as  its  officers.  In 
other  words,  those  called  of  God  and  ordained  to  the  minis- 
try to  be  church  officers  must  be  called  by  vote  as  pastors. 
A  neglect  to  distinguish  between  the  ministerial  function  and 
the  pastoral  relation  has  troubled  both  ministers  and  churches. 
A  wide  distinction  must  be  made,  for  it  exists  in  fact.  Then 
no  minister  not  also  a  pastor  of  a  church  will  presume  on  the 
exercise  of  authority  in  any  church ;  and  when  he  is  also 
a  pastor  of  a  church,  he  needs  to  remember  that  he  is  in  it 
and  not  over  it.  This  is  true  of  deacons,  clerk,  treasurer, 
committees.     Hence  certain  things  follow  from  this  :  — 

(1)  The  church  that  elects  them  to  office  can  also  remove 
them  from  it.  The  power  exists  in  the  church  for  both  elec- 
tion and  removal ;  but  it  should  not  in  either  case  be  exer- 
cised without  sufficient  cause.  But  all  church  officers  need 
to  remember  that  it  is  no  infringement  upon  their  rights  of 
office  for  the  church  to  remove  them.  Of  course  all  legal 
contracts  must  be  kept  inviolate;  but  a  pastor,  because  he 
is  a  minister,  has  no  claim  upon  pulpit  or  salary  when  once 
the  church  by  vote  properly  terminates  his  relation  as  pastor 
to  them.  This  has  come  reluctantly  to  be  conceded  as 
true  of  pastors,  but  it  is  no  less  true  of  deacons  and  other 
officers. 

(2)  No  officer  has  the  right  of  veto  upon  the  action  of  a 


CHUECH  OFFICERS  MORE   THAN  SERVANTS.        191 

church.  Not  even  an  installed  pastor  may  refuse  to  put  a 
motion  when  properly  made,  much  less  can  he  refuse  to  de- 
clare the  vote  or  veto  church  action.  He  ma}'  vacate  the 
chair  and  resign  his  pastorate ;  but  should  he  presume  to 
lord  it  over  the  church  in  any  one  of  these  three  ways,  the 
church  may  remove  him  from  the  chair  by  electing  another 
moderator  in  his  stead.  The  pastor,  as  moderator,  is  bound 
by  the  ordinary  parliamentary  rules,  except  as  the}"  are  modi- 
fied by  Congregational  usages.  In  like  manner,  the  clerk  can 
not  withhold  papers,  documents,  or  records  belonging  to  the 
church,  or  correspondence  as  clerk,  on  tlie  plea  that  they  are 
l^rivate  property,  but  must,  instead,  as  the  servant  of  the 
church,  produce  them  when  required.  He  is  only  custodian 
for  the  church.  Church  officers  are  the  servants  of  the 
churches  that  elect  them,  and  they  that  serve  best  are  the 
greatest. 

§  141.  Church  officers  are  also  more  than  servants:  they 
are  the  chosen  guides  of  the  churches  electing  them.  They 
are  to  see  to  it,  each  officer  in  his  place,  that  the  church  they 
serve  shall  be  trained  and  guided  thoroughly  in  every  func- 
tion for  the  duties  and  labors  required  of  it  as  a  church  of 
Christ.  The  pastor,  as  being  the  leader,  or  chief,  or  shep- 
herd, by  patience,  loving  suggestion,  example,  instruction, 
should  secure  the  prompt  and  complete  performance  of  every 
organic  function,  that  his  church  may  be  thoroughly  equipped, 
and  active  in  every  good  work  ;  so  trained  that  every  service 
and  duty  will  go  on  regularly  if  the  pastor  be  absent.  Hence, 
though  a  pastor  may  in  a  noble  sense  be  all  things  to  all  men, 
if  by  any  means  he  may  save  some  (1  Cor.  9 :  20-23),  yet 
he  can  not  wisely  be  all  the  officers  in  a  church.  Nothing  is 
more  destructive  of  organic  life  and  power  than  such  depend- 
ence on  the  pastor,  unless  it  be  an  unquestioning  devotion  to 
him.  The  first  duty  of  the  pastor  is  the  development  of  the 
organic  life  of  a  church,  so  that  it  shall  not  be  a  congregation 
merely,  but  a  trained  band  of  workers,  able  to  stand  alone 
and  carry  on  its  functions  and  labors  for  a  season  as  a  church, 


192  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

whether  it  has  a  pastor  or  not.  Hence,  if  there  be  no 
fit  and  trained  men  in  the  several  offices,  the  pastor  must 
find  and  train  them,  fitting  one  for  one  office,  and  another 
for  another,  until,  like  a  regiment  or  an  ocean  steamer,  the 
organization  is  perfect,  with  every  man  in  the  right  place 
and  each  with  his  specific  duty.  Christ  had  more  than  a 
rabble  following  him  :  he  had  a  band  of  apostles  in  training, 
to  continue  and  enlarge  his  work.  A  minister  and  a  crowd 
of  admirers  do  not  make  a  strong  church ;  the  crowd  scatters 
when  the  minister  goes :  but  a  strong  church  is  one  organ- 
ized with  a  full  corps  of  officers,  all  trained  to  do  their  aj)- 
pointed  work.  A  pastor  should  strive  to  keep  his  church, 
like  a  ship  carrying  a  priceless  cargo,  well  officered,  well 
trained,  well  trimmed,  able  to  care  for  itself  and  do  its  work, 
hold  its  meetings,  transact  its  business,  carry  on  its  benevo- 
lent and  missionary  labors,  whether  the  pastor  be  present  or 
absent. 

There  is  great  evil  also  in  laying  all,  or  a  large  number  of, 
the  offices  in  a  church,  other  than  the  pastorate,  upon  one 
man  who  has  leisure  or  ambition  or  self-denial  for  every 
thing.  Offices  should  be  as  widely  distributed  as  possible, 
that  many  may  be  in  training.  If  one  man  runs  the  church, 
others  lose  interest  in  it  ;  opposition  to  the  one-man 
power  surely  arises,  and  the  church  is  paralyzed.  If  that  one 
pillar  should  fall,  the  church,  if  not  utterly  demoralized  by 
its  long  idleness,  will  rally  and  prosper,  and  wonder  what 
ailed  it  all  the  years  of  its  feebleness.  The  offices  must  be 
distributed  as  widely  as  possible,  and  men  trained  in  them,  if 
a  church  would  become  what  it  ought  to  be.  Hence  the 
pastor  should  quietly  see  to  it  that  the  greatest  efficiency 
be  secured  in  the  church  under  the  greatest  number  of  the 
best  guides  it  can  command.  This  is  a  part  of  his  official 
business. 

Yet  the  officers  must  shun  in  practice,  as  in  theory,  the  defi- 
nition of  a  church  given  by  Rev.  Samuel  Stone,  "  the  famous 
colleague  of  the  more  famous  Hooker,"  pastor  of  the  Fkst 


CHUBCH  NOT  A   SILEXT  DEMOCRACY.  193 

Church,  Hartford,  Conn.,  from  1633  to  1663,  when  he  said : 
"  A  church  is  a  speaking  aristocracy  in  the  face  of  a  silent 
democracy ; "  ^'  that  is,  "  The  ehlers  only  were  to  speak  in 
the  transaction  of  church  affairs ;  the  brethren  were  to  give 
their  consent  in  silence."'*"  If  any  pastor  has  this  conception 
of  a  church,  at  the  present  time,  he  will  attempt  to  be  more 
than  a  guide.  He  will  lord  it  over  his  people,  and  will  soon 
find,  like  Noah's  dove,  no  rest  for  the  soles  of  his  feet.  The 
church,  not  the  pastor  nor  the  officers,  is  the  depository  of 
ecclesiastical  })ower,  and  it  can  speak  in  business  meetings 
and  in  all  other  meetings. 

*f  Dr.  L.  Bacon's  Hist.  Discourse,  Contrib.  to  Eccl.  Hist.  Ct.  16. 


LECTURE   VIII. 

THE    DOCTRIlSrE    OF    THE     CHEISTIAZST    CHURCH. — WORSHIP 

AND    SACRAMENTS, 

"  God  is  a  Spirit:  and  they  that  tuorship  him  must  loorship  in  spirit  and 
truth.-^  —  Jesus  Christ. 

'^Baptizing  them  into  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.'''  —  Jesus  Christ. 

"  As  often  as  ye  eat  this  bread,  and  drink  the  cup,  ye  proclaim  the  Lord's 
death  till  he  come.'"  —  Saiut  Paul. 

The  local  churches  are  manifestations  of  the  church- 
kingdom  for  worship,  sacraments,  fellowship,  and  labors. 
No  one  of  them  exists  for  itself  alone,  and  entertainment 
does  not  enter  into  its  constitution  and  relations. 

THE    WORSHIP   OF   CHRISTIAN    CHURCHES. 

§  142.  Christian  worship  is  largely  social.  It  is  the 
communion  of  saints  in  prayer  and  praise.  The  individual 
believer  may  worship  God  in  private ;  it  is  indeed  his  duty 
(Matt.  6 :  6)  ;  he  may  meet  with  a  few  others  in  occasional 
worship ;  but  this  is  not  enough  :  he  must  worship  in  church 
relations.  Out  of  this  inherent  tendency  to  communion, 
born  of  the  Spirit,  come  the  local  churches  in  every  place, 
all  arising  from,  and  exemplifying,  the  unity  of  the  church- 
kingdom.  Hence  worship  inheres  in  the  idea  of  a  Christian 
church.  It  constitutes  an  essential  element  of  a  church. 
We  can  not  dissociate  worship  from  a  church  without  de- 
stroying our  conception  of  a  church.  The  life  that  makes 
men  saints  and  unites  saints  in  a  church  estate  is  a  life  of 
prayer  and  praise,  of  fellowship  in  the  worship  of  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord.  It  is  this  life  that  causes  believers  in 
times  of  persecution  to  dare  death  itself  that  they  may  meet 


CHRISTIAN  won  SHIP.  195 

together.  Take  worship  away,  and  a  church  would  become 
a  synagogue  of  Satan.  The  unity  of  the  church-kingdom 
appears  in  this  necessity  for  social  worship ;  and  as  this  wor- 
ship is  a  matter  of  ecclesiastical  regulation,  its  discussion 
belongs  to  church  polity. 

§  148.  As  all  regulations  resj)ecting  worship  in  churches 
should  conserve  the  nature  and  end  of  true  worship,  we 
must,  at  the  outset,  determine  what  its  nature  and  end  are. 

(1)  Christian  worship  must  be  in  spirit  and  truth,  for  God 
is  a  Spirit,  and ''such  doth  the  Father  seek  to  be  his  wor- 
shippers "  (John  4:  23,  24).  It  need  be  no  longer  at  Jerusa- 
lem, but  it  may  be  offered  every-where.  If  only  two  or  three 
agree  together  for  worship  in  spirit  and  truth,  Christ  prom- 
ises to  be  in  the  midst  of  them  (Matt.  18:  20).  There  must 
be  the  genuine  worship  of  the  soul,  not  the  formal  offering  of 
accustomed  service. 

(2)  This  worship  must  be  offered  in  the  name  of  Christ, 
or  it  is  not  Christian  worship.  Christ  said :  "  Hitherto  ye 
have  asked  nothing  in  m}'  name :  ask,  and  ye  shall  receive, 
that  your  joy  may  be  fulfilled."  "  If  ye  shall  ask  anything 
of  the  Father,  he  will  give  it  you  in  my  name."'  "  In  that 
day  ye  shall  ask  in  my  name  "  (John  1(3:  23,  24,  26).  This 
marks  a  radical  change  in  the  prayers  of  Christ's  disciples : 
before,  they  had  not  used  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God ;  there- 
after, they  were  to  use  it.  Their  worship  was  to  cease  being 
Jewish  and  become,  for  the  first  time,  Christian.  ]\Ionothe- 
istic  worship  should  give  place  to  Trinitarian,  "that  all  may 
honour  the  Son,  even  as  they  honour  the  Father"  (John  5: 
23).     This  puts  a  limit  to  Christian  fellowship  (§  232:  4). 

(3)  Christian  worship  must  be  in  faith  and  penitence. 
Without  faith,  it  is  impossible  to  please  God  (Heb.  11 :  6). 
"Now  he  commandeth  men  that  they  should  all  everywhere 
repent"  (Acts  17:  30).  The  preparation  needed  for  true 
worship  is|  to  testify,  "both  to  Jews  and  to  Greeks,  repent- 
ance toward  God,  and  faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  " 
(Acts  20:  21). 


196  THE   CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

The  nature  of  Christian  worship  requires  the  offering  of 
praise  and  prayer,  in  faith  and  repentance,  in  the  genuine 
adoration  of  our  spiritual  natures,  unto  God  the  Father,  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God.  Neither  the  simple 
household  form,  nor  the  gorgeous  ritualistic  form  of  the  pre- 
ceding dispensations,  strongly  fostered  true  worship.  The 
Christian  form  needs  to  foster  it,  or  it  misses  its  end. 

§  144.     The  end  of  church  worship  is  threefold. 

(1)  First  of  all,  the  end  of  worship  is  the  glory  of  God. 
We  are  to  do  all  things  for  his  glory  (1  Cor.  10 :  31)  ;  and 
if  in  the  necessary  acts  of  life,  how  much  more  in  the  very 
highest  act  of  which  the  soul  is  capable,  the  worship  of  Al- 
mighty God !  The  whole  plan  of  redemption  has  God's 
glory  as  its  chief  and  final  consummation.  In  it  he  has  made 
known  the  riches  of  his  glory  (Rom.  9 :  23),  that  he  may 
cause  the  thanksgiving  to  abound  unto  the  glory  of  God  (2 
Cor.  4 :  15).     But  this  is  not  all. 

(2)  Church  worsliip  is  for  Christian  edification.  All  the 
spiritual  gifts  bestowed  upon  the  primitive  churches  were 
given,  says  Paul,  "  that  the  church  may  receive  edifying  " 
(1  Cor.  14:  5).  Hence  he  wrote:  "Seek,  that  ye  may 
abound  unto  the  edifying  of  the  church  "  (1  Cor.  14 :  12,  18, 
19).  If  edification  was  the  end  of  supernatural  gifts,  it  is 
also  of  natural  gifts.  Every  thing  in  the  worship  must  pro- 
mote spiritual  building  up.  This  excludes  from  church  ser- 
vices spectacular  exhibitions,  dead  languages,  vain  rantings, 
whatever  fails  to  edify  the  saints. 

(3)  Church  services  are  for  the  conversion  of  unbelievers. 
The  gift  of  tongues  was  a  sign  for  this  purpose  (1  Cor.  14 : 
22)  —  a  sign,  a  monitor,  but  nothing  more.  "  But  if  all 
prophesy,  and  there  come  in  one  unbelieving  or  unlearned, 
he  is  reproved  by  all,  he  is  judged  by  all ;  the  secrets  of  his 
heart  are  made  manifest ;  and  so  he  will  fall  down  on  his 
face  and  worship  God,  declaring  that  God  is  among  you 
indeed"  (1  Cor.  14:  24,  25).  If  that  was  true  of  inspired 
teaching  in  language  that  all  could  understand,  it  will  be 


FOEM  OF   CHRISTIAX   WORSHIP.  197 

true,  in  its  degree,  of  uninspired  teaching,  the  Spirit  applying 
the  Word  for  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  sinners. 
Hence  it  is  the  law  of  all  church  worship :  '■'•  Let  all  things 
be  done  unto  edifj^ng." 

§  145.  The  form  of  church  worship  should  be  that  which 
best  satisfies  the  nature  aiul  end  of  worship.  That  form  may 
change  in  details  to  suit  the  environment,  but  must  be  essen- 
tially the  same  to  meet  the  wants  of  saints  and  the  conver- 
sion of  sinners.     Hence  :  — 

(1)  No  fixed  form  of  Christian  worship  has  been  revealed. 
There  was  large  liberty  under  the  i)atriarchs,  though  there 
bloody  sacrifices  and  a  right  spirit  were  essential  (Gen.  4 : 
4,  5).  But  under  Moses  liberty  was  excluded  in  a  fixed  and 
minute  ritual  (§  20).  Under  Christ  again  there  is  liberty, 
with  no  ritual,  no  imposed  and  fixed  form  of  worship,  as 
becomes  an  ecumenical  religion.  A  few  things  are  enjoined 
in  the  New  Testament,  but  the  order  and  details  are  not 
given.  Even  the  Lord's  Prayer  is  not  given  twice  alike 
(Matt.  G  :  9-13  ;  Luke  11 :  2-4),  and  to  reduce  it  to  a  litur- 
gical form,  a  doxology  had  to  be  added.  No  one  can  find 
a  ritual  or  liturgy,  or  even  a  full  order  of  services  in  the 
New  Testament.  ''  The  Teaching  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  " 
gives  three  short  eucharistic  prayers,  but  adds :  ^'  But  permit 
the  prophets  to  give  thanks  in  such  terms  as  they  please."  ^ 
Nor  is  there  any  claim  that  the  prayers  given  must  be  used, 
though  the  implication  is  that  they  are  to  be  used  Yet  we 
learn  from  Justin  Martyr  that  prayer  was  offered  by  the 
leader  "  according  to  his  ability  ;  "  2  that  is,  extemporaneously. 
"There  is  no  trace  of  a  uniform  and  exclusive  liturgy;  it 
Mould  be  inconsistent  with  the  liberty  and  vitality  of  the 
apostolic  churches."  ^ 

(2)  The  l)est  form  of  Christian  worship  is  that  which  best 
meets  the  nature  and  end  of  worship,  which  have  been 
given.  But  the  conditions  are  not  the  same  in  all  ages, 
communities,    and  peoples;    and,    indeed,    these    conditions 

»  Chap.  X.  :  First  Apol.  chap.  Ixvii.  "  Schaff 's  Hist.  Christ.  Ch.  1,  463. 


198  THE   CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

change  in  the  same  communities.  The  same  essential  wants 
vary  in  their  demands  among  different  classes  of  men ;  and 
a  variety  of  forms  would  seem  best  adapted  to  satisfy  these 
wants.  The  Sunday  and  the  week-day  services  are  quite 
diverse ;  and  a  wise  discretion  will  vary  the  services  to  meet 
the  demands  of  the  occasion.  An  ecumenical  religion  should 
be  flexible  in  its  form  of  worship,  so  as  to  comprehend  all 
races,  nations,  tribes,  tastes,  conditions,  wants,  classes,  and 
give  to  each  church  the  worship  which  shall  best  suit  its 
needs. 

(3)  To  secure  this  flexibility  Christ  gave  complete  liberty 
to  his  churches  in  matters  of  worship.  This  liberty  is  one  of 
the  inherent  riglits  of  independent  churches,  which  no  one 
can  take  from  them.  This  freedom  in  worship  was  one  of 
the  things  ''  ordained  in  all  the  churches "  by  the  apostles. 
Each  church,  whether  chiefly  coming  from  Jews  or  Gentiles, 
could  regulate  its  own  worship,  changing  it  to  suit  its  own 
needs.  iNIany  churches  might  have  many  forms,  substantially 
alike,  but  varying  somewhat.  And  so  now,  were  all  churches 
of  one  faith  and  order,  there  might  be  found  in  any  city  all 
the  varieties  of  worship  which  we  now  see,  save  the  mass. 
One  might  use  the  Praj'er-Book,  another  the  Lutheran  ritual, 
another  the  baldest  services,  each  meeting  the  wants  of  its 
worshipers,  but  each  and  all  in  the  sweetest  fellowship  and 
most  cordial  cooperation.  Congregationalism  not  only  allows, 
but  also  encourages,  this  broad  and  catholic  liberty. 

§  146.  This  liberty  gave  variety  to  the  forms  of  worship 
among  the  primitive  churches.  Rituals  were  not  unknown, 
as  we  shall  show,  but  they  were  not  one  and  the  same 
for  all. 

(1)  Their  model  was  no  doubt  that  of  the  Jewish  syna- 
gogue, which  has  been  thus  described :  "  The  people  being 
seated,  the  minister,  or  angel  of  the  synagogue,  ascended  the 
pulpit  and  offered  up  the  public  prayers,  the  people  rising 
from  their  seats  and  standing  in  a  posture  of  deep  devotion. 
The  prayers  were  nineteen  in  number,  and  were  closed  by 


PBIMITIVE   CHRISTIAN  WOIiSIIIP.  199 

reading  Dent.  6:  4-9;  11:  13-21;  Num.  15:  37-41.  The 
next  thing  was  the  repetition  of  their  phylacteries,  after 
wliich  came  the  reading  of  the  law  and  tlie  i)rophets. 
The  last  part  of  the  service  was  the  expounding  of  the  Script- 
ures and  preaching  from  them  to  the  people.  This  was 
done  either  by  one  of  the  officers  or  by  some  distinguished 
person  who  happened  to  be  present.  .  .  .  The  whole  service 
concluded  with  a  short  prayer  or  benediction."  *  There  was 
singing  or  chanting  in  the  synagogue  services.  As  the  syna- 
gogue was  not  itself  expressly  authorized  under  the  law, 
and  as  each  one  was  independent  of  the  rest,  the  ritual  of 
the  synagogue  can  not  be  regarded  as  divinely  authorized. 

(2)  We  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  primitive  church  worship 
through  the  door  of  disorders,  and  find  that  they  had  in  the 
services  inspired  prophesying,  speaking  with  tongues,  inter- 
pretation of  tongues,  revelations,  all  which  were  supernatural 
gifts ;  then,  reading  the  Scriptures,  prayers,  singing  or  chant- 
ing, and  preaching.  But  the  order  in  which  these  occurred 
is  not  given.     Any  adult  male  could  participate. 

The  synagogue  prayers  may  have  been  used  at  first,  called 
perhaps  "  the  prayers  "  (Acts  2 :  42)  ;  but  they  would  not 
long  suffice,  since  prayer  was  to  be  offered  in  the  name  of 
Christ.  The  Psalms  too  would  no  longer  meet  their  wants, 
since  the  coming  Christ  of  the  Old  Testament  had  become 
the  crucified  and  ascended  Redeemer  of  the  New  Dispensation. 
Hence  new  prayers,  "hymns  and  spiritual  songs,"  arose  and 
were  used  (Eph.  5:  19;  Col.  3:  IG).  "Psalms,  hymns,  and 
unpremeditated  bursts  of  praise,  chanted  in  the  power  of  the 
Spirit,  such  as  those  of  the  gift  of  tongues,  were  the  chief 
elements  of  the  service.  The  right  of  utterance  was  not 
denied  to  any  man  (women  even  seem  at  first  to  have  been 
admitted  to  the  same  right)  (Acts  21 :  9  ;  1  Cor.  11 :  5)  who 
possessed  the  necessary  gifts  (1  Cor.  14:  26-33)  and  was 
ready  to  submit  to  the  control  of  the  presiding  elder  or 
apostle.      There   were   in  the   unwritten    traditions  of  the 

*  Schaff's  Bible  Diet.  Synagogue. 


200  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

church ;  in  the  oral  teaching  as  to  our  Lord's  life  and  teach- 
ings (1  Cor.  11 :  23 ;  15 :  1-8) ;  as  to  the  rules  of  discipline 
and  worship  (2  Thess.  2 :  15 ;  3 :  6)  ;  in  '  the  faithful  say- 
ings'  which  were  received  as  axioms  of  the  faith  (1  Tim.  1: 
15 ;  4 :  9 ;  2  Tim.  2 :  11 ;  Titus  3 :  8),  the  germs  at  once  of 
the  creeds,  the  canons,  the  liturgies,  the  systematic  theology 
of  the  future."^ 

"  The  frequent  use  of  psalms  and  short  forms  of  devotion, 
as  the  Lord's  Prayer,  may  be  inferred  with  certainty  from 
the  Jewish  custom,  from  the  Lord's  direction  respecting  his 
model  prayer,  from  the  strong  sense  of  fellowship  among  the 
first  Christians,  and  finally  from  the  liturgical  spirit  of  the 
ancient  Church,  which  could  not  have  so  generally  prevailed, 
both  in  the  East  and  the  West,  without  some  apostolic  and 
post-apostolic  precedent."  ^ 

(3)  The  later  worship  appears  in  the  so-called  Constitu- 
tions of  the  Apostles,  "  a  collection  of  ecclesiastical  laws  and 
usages  which  grew  up  gradually  during  the  first  four  centu- 
ries." From  them  we  draw  a  picture  of  a  church  assembly 
in  the  latter  half  of  the  ante-Nicene  period  (a.d.  100-325). 

In  tlie  middle  of  the  church  was  the  bishop's  throne,  and 
on  either  side  of  him  sat  the  presbytery,  and  the  deacons 
stood  near  at  hand,  in  close  and  small  girt  garments.  The 
laity  sat  on  either  side,  the  men,  women,  the  young  men,  the 
young  women,  and  the  married  women  with  children,  by 
themselves.  The  reader  stood  upon  some  high  place ;  and 
after  two  lessons,  some  one  sang  a  hymn  of  David,  the  people 
joining  in  the  conclusion  of  the  verses.  Then  a  portion  of 
the  Acts,  of  Paul's  Epistles,  and  of  the  Gospels  was  read  by 
a  deacon  or  presbyter,  all  standing  while  the  Gospels  were 
read.  Then  the  presbyters,  one  by  one,  and  last  of  all  tlie 
l)ishop,  exhorted  the  people.  Then  all  rose  up,  and,  after 
the  catechumens  and  penitents  and  all  non-communicants 
had  gone  out,  prayed  to  God  eastward.  After  this  came  the 
holy  kiss.     Then  the  deacon  prayed  for  the  whole  world,  and 

6  Plumptre's  Introd.  to  Acts.  »  Schaff's  Hist.  Christ.  Ch.  i,  463. 


EABLT  CHBISTIAN  LITURGIES.  201 

the  several  parts  of  it.  This  was  followed  by  a  prayer  for 
j)eace  upon  the  whole  people,  with  a  blessing,  and  a  prayer 
by  the  bishop  ;  after  which  came  the  Eucharist,  no  unbeliever 
or  uninitiated  person  being  allowed  to  be  present.  During  the 
service  a  deacon  was  to  see  to  it  that  nobody  whispered, 
slumbered,  laughed,  or  nodded.' 

(4)  The  ritualistic  tendency  of  the  early  days  developed 
into  full  liturgies,  three  of  which,  in  the  ante-Nicene  period, 
have  been  preserved :  The  Divine  Liturgy  of  James  (about 
A.D.  200),  which  is  thirty-five  octavo  pages  long ;  The  Divine 
Liturgy  of  Mark  (about  a.d.  225),  twenty-five  pages  long; 
and  the  still  later  Liturgy  of  the  Blessed  Apostles,  sixteen 
pages  long.'^  As  they  do  not  agree  in  length,  so  also  in  other 
respects,  proving  that  uniformity  did  not  exist  prior  to  the 
union  of  Church  and  State  under  Constantine.  With  the 
incoming  of  the  Gentile  masses  after  the  conversion  of  the 
lioman  Empire  came  a  "prodigious  number  of  rites  and  cere- 
monies." "They  had  both  a  most  pompous  and  splendid 
ritual.  Gorgeous  robes,  miters,  tiaras,  wax  tapers,  crosiers, 
processions,  lustrations,  images,  gold  and  silver  vases,  and 
many  such  circumstances  of  pageantry  were  equally  to  be 
seen  in  the  heathen  temples  and  the  Christian  churches."^ 
With  the  coming  in  of  the  papacy  came  greater  uniformity, 
spectacular  worship,  fixed  liturgies,  and  the  utter  perversion 
of  Christian  worship  from  its  spiritual  nature  and  true  end. 

(5)  The  great  Reformation  sprang  out  of  a  different  con- 
cei)tion  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  changed  worship  as 
well  as  doctrine,  polity,  and  morals,  but  in  varying  degrees. 
The  Lutheran,  the  Anglican,  and  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Churches,  and  some  others,  retained  elaborate  and  fixed  litur- 
gies ;  but  the  Reformed  Churches  and  the  Puritans  carried 
the  reform  in  worship  much  farther.  The  reaction  from  the 
corruptions  and  persecutions  of  Rome  and  Canterbury  drove 

'  Apositolical  Constitutions,  liook  ii,  Ivii;  book  viii,  xi. 
«  Ante-Nicene  Christ.  Library,  T.  ami  T.  Clark's  ed. 
»  Moslieim's  Eccl.  Hist.  l>ook  ii,  part  !i,  chap,  iv,  §  1. 


202  THE  CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

the  Puritans  into  the  extreme  of  ritualistic  barrenness.  The 
public  reading  of  the  sacred  Scriptures  without  comment 
was  stigmatized  as  "  dumb  reading,"  and  for  a  time  the  read- 
ing of  the  Bible  was  dispensed  with  in  the  pulpit,  and  that 
quite  recently.  The  sermon,  without  liturgy  and  Scripture, 
rose  in  dignity  above  worship,  until,  to  hear  the  preacher 
was  in  thought  and  speech  and  fact  the  chief  business  in 
public  worship.  This  introduced  into  the  worship  of  God  a 
most  obnoxious  human  element.  The  preaching,  and  so  the 
preacher,  became  the  center  of  attraction  or  of  repulsion ; 
that  is,  man,  not  God,  received  the  chief  honor  in  the  sanc- 
tuary. And  so  it  has  come  to  pass  that  if  the  preacher  is 
popular,  the  church  will  be  crowded ;  if,  like  Paul,  he  is  not 
attractive,  — ''  his  bodily  presence  is  weak,  and  his  speech  of 
no  account"  (2  Cor.  10:  10),  —  the  chm-chis  largely  empty. 
Church  attendance  depends,  therefore,  upon  the  preacher. 
Thus  a  personal,  human  element,  which  in  the  worship  of 
Almighty  God  should  have  little  or  no  place,  controls  largely 
church  going  and  church  worship.  And  so  again,  on  the 
other  hand,  reaction  into  barrenness  of  ritual  has  perverted 
public  worship  from  its  spiritual  nature  and  end. 

(6)  A  clearer  conception  of  worship  begins,  however,  to 
appear.  The  Bible  has  its  place  in  the  services ;  responsive 
readings,  praise,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  chanting,  organs,  in  some 
cases,  short  liturgies,  any  thing  that  may  edify  in  worship, 
are  coming  in  to  give  variety  and  freshness  to  worship.  The 
admiration  of  a  preacher  is  giving  place  to  the  worship  of 
God  in  the  churches.  For  it  is  found  that  there  is  no  hie- 
rarchy in  an  organ,  nor  priesthood  in  a  liturgy,  nor  bondage 
in  responsive  readings ;  but  instead,  edification  of  all  classes 
and  conditions  of  men  in  the  worship  of  God. 

§  147.  This  variety  of  services,  arising  from  the  liberty  of 
independent  churches,  raises  a  question  as  to  the  value  of 
liturgies  in  church  services.  This  is  a  different  question 
from  that  which  vexed  our  non-conforming  Puritan  fathers. 
They  rebelled  against  a  lixed,  complete,  and  enforced  liturgy, 


VALUE   OF  LITURGIES.  203 

covering  prayers  and  liyums  (§  01).  In  our  use  of  rituals 
and  liturgies,  we  must  not  forget  the  price  they  paid  for 
our  liberties.     We  should  remember  :  — 

(1)  That  no  ritual  or  liturgy  has  been  imposed  by  Christ 
Jesus.  This  is  so  clearly  the  case  that  Dean  Stanley  quotes 
"the  positive  statement  of  Saint  Basil,  that  there  was  no 
written  authorit}''  for  any  of  the  liturgical  forms  of  the  Church 
in  his  time"  (a.d.  329-379).^*^  Had  any  liturgy  been  im- 
posed by  Christ  and  his  apostles,  it  would  have  appeared 
l)otli  in  the  record  and  in  uniformity  prior  to  the  fourth  and 
fifth  centuries.  Nor  has  Christ  given  any  erne  the  power  to 
enforce  liturgies.  The  local  churches  are  severall}'  independ- 
ent under  Chri^t,  and  may  not  be  brought  into  subjection 
to  any  other  authority.  True,  the  cut  of  a  vestment  is 
nothing ;  but  when  the  state  or  a  hierarchy  attempts  to  en- 
force any  style  or  form,  we,  like  our  ecclesiastical  fathers, 
should  remember  Paul's  course,  and  give  place  to  them,  no 
not  for  an  hour  (Gal.  2:  5).  Men  suffered,  and  some  died, 
to  purchase  the  liberty  to  wear  or  not  to  wear,  as  edification 
might  determine,  any  form  of  dress,  and  to  use  or  not  to  use 
any  ritual,  liturgy,  service,  that  may  meet  the  spiritual  nature 
and  end  of  public  worship.  We  have  entered  into  their 
labors :  but  any  attempt  to  enforce  either  the  most  barren 
form  of  service  or  the  most  gorgeous  liturgy,  or  any  thing 
between,  would  arouse  the  old  Puritanic  spirit,  and  set  our 
churches  in  battle  array  against  it,  as  of  old. 

(2)  Yet  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  synagogue  had  its 
ritual ;  that  the  heathen  temples  had  their  rituals ;  that  the 
primitive  Christians  consequently  were  used  to  liturgical 
worship ;  that  they  would  naturally  bring  it  over,  in  some 
of  its  parts,  at  least,  unless  expressly  forbidden,  into  the 
churches ;  that  there  is  no  such  prohibition  recorded ;  that, 
on  the  contrary,  there  are  supposed  hints  of  liturgical  wor- 
ship in  the  New  Testament  (Acts  2 :  42 ;  4 :  24-30 ;  1  Tim. 
3 :  16)  ;  and  that  liturgies  came  early   into    use    and  have 

'» Christ.  Institutious,  52. 


204  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

continued  in  use  ever  since  in  the  major  part,  even  of  tiie 
Reformed  Churches.  Much  may  be  said  for  them  and  much 
against  them  ;  but  if  the}*  were  made  free  and  short,  so  that 
a  part  of  the  services  should  be  liturgical  and  part  extempo- 
raneous, but  all  optional,  the  best  results  would  probably 
follow.  This  liberty  our  Congregational  churches  enjoy, 
each  one  regulating  its  own  mode  of  worship  to  suit  its  own 
wants,  and  the  practice  ranges  from  the  baldest  service  up 
to  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer.  One  church  may  be  l^etter 
edified  with  a  liturg}^  another  without  one,  another  with  a 
mixture  of  lioth  written  and  extemporaneous  forms.  One 
minister  may  excel  in  extempore  worship,  another  in  reading 
services.  Let  each  minister  and  church  study  the  things 
that  edify  and  save. 

(3)  It  is  entirely  a  wrong  view  of  the  matter  to  identify 
liturgies  with  church  polity.  The  right  and  power  to  en- 
force their  use  is  claimed  of  course  by  centralized  ecclesias- 
tical systems,  but  this  claim  is  separable  from  the  liturgies 
themselves.  A  Congregational  church  does  not  lose  its 
independence  by  adopting  a  ritual  or  even  the  Prayer  Book. 
In  the  exercise  of  that  independence  it  controls  its  own  wor- 
ship for  its  own  edification.  This  liberty  and  right  needs  to 
be  exercised  by  our  churches  until  they  meet  all  needs 
arising  from  the  various  classes,  tastes,  gifts,  etc.,  of  a  versa- 
tile civilization.  The  mode  that  suits  one  church  may  not 
suit  another ;  very  well,  let  each  meet  its  own  needs  :  in 
modes  of  worship  diverse,  in  spirit  and  polity  one.  Not 
ecclesiastically,  if  historically,  is  it  uncongregational  to  use 
a  liturgy.     The  Lutherans  have  always  had  a  liturgy. 

Worship  is  rooted  deepest  in  renewed  human  nature,  and 
its  heaven-illumined  top  rises  the  highest  of  human  acts. 
Slowly,  but  surely,  in  the  exercise  of  liberty,  will  the  churches 
purify  their  worship  of  foreign  and  hindering  elements,  until 
those  forms  alone  remain  which  conform  exactly  to  the 
spiritual  nature  and  end  of  Christian  worship.  Thus  shall 
the  churches  worship  God  more  and  more  in  the  beauty  of 
holiness. 


NUMBEB   OF  SACRAMENTS.  205 

THE   CHURCH   SACRAMENTS. 

§  148.  The  highest  part  of  worship  centers  in  the  sacra- 
ments. Yet  Christendom  is  divided  as  to  their  number  and 
nature. 

(1)  "  The  Roman  Church,  like  the  Greek,  reckons  seven 
sacraments :  that  is,  baptism,  confirmation,  eucharist,  pen- 
ance, extreme  unction,  orders,  marriage."  "  But  the  Romish 
Church  does  not  attribute  an  equal  dignity  to  all  the  seven." 
"The  Protestant  Church,  including  all  parties,  admit  only- 
two:  baptism  and  the  holy  supper."  "  The  Mennonites  join 
feet-washing  (John  13:  5-14)  with  the  sacraments."  ^^ 

(2)  We  hold  the  Protestant  view  to  be  correct,  because 
only  baptism  (Matt.  28:  19;  Mark  16:  16;  John  3:  5; 
Acts  2:  38,  41;  10:  48;  22:  16)  and  the  Lord's  Supper 
(Matt.  26:  26-30;  Mark  14:  22-25;  Luke  22:  14-20; 
1  Cor.  11 :  24-26)  are  perpetually  enjoined,  and  are  of  the 
nature  of  sacraments. 

(a)  Confirmation  is  an  unction,  or  chrism,  an  anointing 
from  the  Holy  One  (1  John  2 :  20,  27)  or  from  God  (2  Cor. 
1 :  21),  or  the  conferring  of  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
(Acts  8  :  17).  There  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  it  was  com- 
manded, that  it  was  designed  to  be  continued,  or  that  it  in 
its  essence  has  been  continued. 

(6)  Not  a  passage  quoted  for  penance  as  a  sacrament 
(Mark  1:  4,5;  Matt.  18:  18;  John  20:  22,  23;  2  Cor.  7: 
10  ;  Acts  10  :  43  ;  Ex.  33  :  19)  indicates  that  it  is  more  than 
repentance  and  forgiveness  and  the  apostolic  power  of  the 
keys. 

(c)  And  the  proofs  of  the  sacrament  of  orders  (1  Cor.  6 : 
1 ;  Acts  20 :  28 ;  Titus  1 :  5 ;  1  Tim.  5 :  22)  prove  no  more 
than  this,  that  the  Christian  Church  has  a  ministerial  func- 
tion, and  not  that  the  recognition  of  such  a  ministry  in 
ordination  is  a  sacrament. 

(c?)  Marriage  is  as  old  as  Eden,  and  the  references  to  it 
relied  on  to  prove  it  a  Christian  sacrament  (Eph.  5:  31,  32; 

"  Winer's  Confessions  of  Christ.  §  14. 


206  THE  CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

Matt.  19:  11,  12;  1  Cor.  7  :  8,  9,  32,  33,  38)  have  no  such 
meaning.     The  heathen  marry  and  are  given  in  marriage. 

(e)  There  would  seem  to  be  more  ground  for  regarding 
extreme  unction  as  a  perpetual  duty,  though  not  as  a  sacra- 
ment (Mark  6 :  13 ;  James  5 :  14,  16),  were  it  not  for  the 
fact  that  it  refers  to  miraculous  cures,  not  to  an  anointing 
of  the  dying.  "  The  prayer  of  faith  shall  save  him  that  is 
sick,  and  the  Lord  shall  raise  him  up  "  (James  5 :  15) ;  this 
is  any  thing  but  extreme  unction  as  practised  in  the  churches. 
Miracles  were  predicted  soon  to  cease  (1  Cor.  13 :  8),  and 
they  soon  ceased. 

(/)  Feet-washing  as  a  sacrament  or  rite  has  had  little 
countenance,  although  Christ  said  of  it :  "  For  1  have  given 
you  an  example,  that  ye  also  should  do  as  I  have  done  to 
you  "  (John  13 :  15).  The  churches  generally  have  made 
this  example  to  cover  all  menial  acts  of  service  for  the  Mas" 
ter  done  in  humility,  and  not  to  mean  a  sacrament  of  feet- 
washing. 

As,  therefore,  there  is  no  proof  that  these  six  things  — 
confirmation,  penance,  orders,  marriage,  extreme  unction, 
and  feet-washing  —  were  designed  to  be  sacraments  in  the 
churches,  and  as  they  in  nature  are  unlike  sacraments,  Prot- 
estants rightly  reject  them  and  hold  only  two  sacraments, 
baptism  and  the  eucharist. 

(3)  This  view  is  confirmed  by  the  nature  of  a  sacrament. 
It  is  true  that  the  Quakers  regard  the  sacraments  as  simply 
inward  spiritual  rites,  and  not  as  outward,  visible  signs. 
They  say  that  "  baptism  is  not  the  washing  of  the  body  with 
water  .  .  .  but  the  powerful  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
hearts  of  all  who  submit  thereto,  refining  them  from  the  pollu- 
tions of  sin.  .  .  .  That  the  communion  of  the  body  and  blood 
of  Christ  is  not  the  partaking  of  outward  bread  and  wme, 
but  is  inward  and  spiritual,  a  real  participation  of  his  divine 
nature  in  measure,  through  faith  in  him  and  obedience  to 
his  Spirit  in  the  heart."  ^^     Hence  it  is  truly  said  that  "  the 

1-  Hodgson's  Hist.  Memoirs,  37,  38,  who  quotes  Barklay's  Apolog-y,  prop,  xii,  xiii. 


BAPTISM.  207 

Quakers  reject  both  the  idea  and  the  name  of  sacraments."  '^^ 
But  all  Christendom  besides  regard  the  sacraments  to  1)e  out- 
ward, visible  signs  and  seals  of  an  inward  state  and  relation. 
Baptism  is  the  sign  and  seal  of  an  inward  spiritual  cleansing, 
and  hence  it  is  called  "  the  washing  of  regeneration  "  (Titus 
3  :  5).  So  the  eucharist  expresses  the  communion  of  the 
saints  with  Christ,  and  is  the  sign  and  seal  of  their  covenant 
relations  with  him.  That  both  were  regarded  as  outward 
and  visible  signs  and  seals  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  the 
apostles,  after  the  day  of  Pentecost,  baptized  all  believers 
and  celebrated  with  them  the  Lord's  Supper.  Of  this  there 
can  be  no  reasonable  doubt. 

BAPTISM. 

§  149.  Baptism  is  an  outward  initiatory  rite  standing  at 
the  door  of  the  visible  churches.  It  is  the  sign  of  spiritual 
cleansing,  and  so  of  fitness  to  enter  into  the  visible  household 
of  saints. 

(1)  Baptism  supersedes  circumcision  as  the  sign  and  seal 
of  the  covenant  of  promise.  God  entered  into  a  formal  cov- 
enant with  Abraham,  and  with  his  seed  after  him  (Gen.  15 : 
7-21),  whose  sign  and  seal  he  afterwards  made  to  be  circum- 
cision (Gen.  IT :  10-14).  This  "  covenant  confirmed  be- 
forehand by  God,  the  law,  which  came  four  hundred  and 
thirty  years  after,  doth  not  disannul,  so  as  to  make  the  prom- 
ise of  none  effect"  (Gal.  3:  17).  Hence  the  covenant  of 
promise  abides  still ;  and  if  so,  then  its  sign  and  seal,  so  that 
if  we  are  Christ's,  then  we  are  Abraham's  seed,  and  heirs 
according  to  promise  (Gal.  3 :  22-29).  Christ  ordered  all  his 
disciples  to  be  baptized  (Matt.  28 :  19)  ;  his  apostles,  under 
the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  set  aside  circumcision  as  no 
longer  treated  by  Christ  as  the  sign  and  seal  of  the  covenant 
(Acts  lo  :  1,  28,  29),  baptism  having  taken  its  place.  Paul's 
words  are  conclusive  here :  "  In  whom  [Christ]  ye  were  also 
circumcised  with  a  circumcision  not  made  with  hands,  in  the 

»•  Winer's  Confessions  of  Christ.  §  14. 


208  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

putting  off  of  the  body  of  the  flesh,  in  the  circumcision  of 
Christ ;  having  been  buried  with  him  in  baptism,  wherein  ye 
were  also  raised  with  him  through  faith  in  the  working  of 
God,  who  raised  him  from  the  dead"  (Col.  2:  11, 12).  Thus 
"•the  circumcision  of  Christ"  is  baptism,  receiving  which, 
one  receives  the  sign  and  seal  of  the  covenant  of  promise. 
The  command  of  Peter  to  baptize  the  uncircumcised  Corne- 
lius (Acts  10 :  47),  instead  of  circumcising  him,  for  the  first 
time  indicated  the  supersedure  of  circumcision  by  baptism. 
The  rite  of  blood,  confined  to  males,  was  given  that  "  Abra- 
ham might  be  the  father  of  all  them  that  believe  "  (Rom.  4 : 
11)  ;  yet  believing  Gentiles  were  only  required  to  be  baptized, 
a  sign  and  seal  applied  to  males  and  females,  Jews  and  Gen- 
tiles. Every-where  thereafter  baptism  is  put  as  the  substi- 
tute for  circumcision  in  admitting  believers  into  covenant 
relations  with  God.  It  became,  and  has  ever  continued,  the 
initiatory  rite,  the  sign  and  seal  of  the  covenant  of  promise. 

(2)  Hence  baptism  is  required  of  believers  in  Christ 
Jesus,  as  circumcision  was  required  from  Abraham  to  Pente- 
cost. The  initiatory  rite  was  an  everlasting  ordinance,  as  the 
covenant  was  everlasting  (Gen.  17:  13),  and  Christ  enjoined 
its  new  form  upon  all  disciples  (Matt.  28 :  19 ;  Mark  1(3  :  16), 
and  no  one,  Jew  or  Gentile,  joined  the  church  after  Pente- 
cost but  through  baptism  (Acts  2  :  38,  41 ;  10  :  48  ;  22  :  16, 
etc.).  Those  who  before  that  day  believed  were,  as  we  have 
shown  (§§  39,  105),  separated  by  the  winno wing-fan  of 
Christ  'into  the  spiritual  kahal  of  Israel,  which  became  on 
Pentecost  the  Christian  ecclesia,  or  church-kingdom.  They 
were  the  church,  and  needed  not  to  join  it.  All  others  were 
left  outside  as  rejected  Jews  or  unconverted  Gentiles.  The 
circumcision  of  the  rejected  availed  them  nothing  (1  Cor.  7 : 
19;  Gal.  5:  6;  6:  15),  and  so,  on  believing,  they  renewed 
the  covenant  in  baptism. 

(3)  John's  baptism  was  not  Christian  baptism.  The  apos- 
tles generally  had  been  baptized  unto  repentance,  but  John 
the  Baptist  lived  and  died  under  the  law  of  Moses,  as  Christ 


ESSENTIAL   ELEMENTS  LY  BAPTISM.  209 

himself  did.  The  preaching  and  the  baptism  of  the  fore- 
runner were  preparatory.  Tliis  baptism  unto  repentance 
availed  nothing^  under  Clnist.  As  a  rite  it  was  not  enough. 
This  is  put  beyond  question  by  the  twelve  disciples  whom 
Paul  found  at  Ephesus.  They  had  been  baptized  "into 
John's  baptism  "  only,  and  when  he  knew  it,  he  commanded 
them  to  be  baptized  also  "  into  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  " 
(Acts  11»:  1-7). 

Thus  all  believers  after  Pentecost  entered  the  visible 
churches  through  the  door  of  baptism.  This  substitute  for 
circumcision  as  the  sign  and  seal  of  the  covenant  became  the 
initiatory  rite  of  the  Christian  churches. 

§  150.  But  what  are  the  essential  elements  of  true  bap- 
tism ?  What  constitutes  valid  baptism  ?  This  is  a  practical 
question. 

(1)  Water  is  the  element  used,  and  the  purer  the  better. 
One  must  be  "born  of  water  and  the  Spirit"  (John  3:  5). 
Water  was  always  used  in  baptism  (Acts  8  :  30,  38;  10:  47), 
living  or  running  water.  "  But  if  thou  have  not  living  water, 
baptize  into  other  water;  but  if  thou  canst  not  in  cold,  in 
warm."  i* 

(2)  There  must  be  the  intent  to  baptize.  No  mock  bap- 
tism is  valid.  This  intent  ought  to  include  all  parties  to  the 
rite.  Neither  of  them  may  be  worthy,  but  they  should  reli- 
giously intend  to  do  what  they  do.  Yet,  if  the  administrator 
be  an  impostor,  or  the  recipient  a  hypocrite,  if  the  rite  be 
performed  as  a  religious  ceremony  with  intent  of  baptism, 
the  baptism  is  valid. 

(3)  Baptism  must  be  into  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of 
the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  that  is,  it  must  be  into  the 
Trinity  (Matt.  28:  19).  This  is  twice  repeated  in  "The 
Teaching  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,"  in  the  four  verses  of 
the  seventh  chapter.  Unitarian  baptism  is  not,  therefore, 
valid ;  but  the  baptism  of  the  Greek,  the  Roman  Catholic, 
and  all  Protestant  churches  that  use  the  Trinitarian  formula 
is  valid,  if  with  intent. 

'••  Teaching  Twelve  Apostles,  chap.  vii. 


210  THE  CHUTtCH- KINGDOM. 

(4)  Hence  baptism  should  be  but  once  administered.  If 
one  has  been  baptized,  with  intent,  into  the  name  of  the 
Trinity,  he  should  not  be  baptized  again.  Thus  a  Roman 
Catholic  should  be  received  without  rebaptism.  This  is  the 
almost  unanimous  view,  though  Presbyterians  reject  it  by  a 
divided  vote.^^  Those  not  baptized  into  the  name  of  Christ 
need  to  be  so  baptized  (Acts  19:  4,  5).  In  case  one  has 
been  baptized  in  infancy  and  desires  confession  in  baptism, 
there  is  no  prohiltition  against  such  rebaptism,  though  his 
infant  baptism  is  valid.  It  is  better  that  he  be  rebaptized 
than  that  he  should  be  kept  out  of  church  relations.  Quakers 
have  never  been  baptized. 

§  151.  The  mode  of  baptism  is  various.  The  Greek 
Church  uses  trine  immersion ;  all  Baptist  churches,  and 
some  others,  single  immersion ;  the  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
and  most  Protestant  communions,  sprinkling.  The  New 
Testament  does  not  determine  the  mode  or  lay  stress  on  it. 
"  The  Teaching  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,"  which  goes  back 
quite,  or  near,  to  the  death  of  the  apostle  John,  says:  "Bap- 
tize into  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  in  living  [or  running]  water.  But  if  thou  have 
not  living  water,  baptize  into  other  water ;  and  if  thou  canst 
not  in  cold,  in  warm.  But  if  thou  have  not  either,  pour 
out  water  thrice  upon  the  head  into  the  name  of  Father, 
and  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit."  ^^  This  confirms  the  view  of 
church  historians  that  "the  usual  form  of  baptism  was  immer- 
sion. .  .  .  But  sprinkling  also,  or  copious  pouring  rather, 
was  practised  at  an  early  day  with  sick  and  dying  persons, 
and  probably  with  children  and  others,  where  total  or  partial 
immersion  was  impracticable."  ^"^  The  mode  of  baptism  is 
declared  by  God,  in  the  gift  of  his  Spirit  in  regeneration  and 
sanctification  and  revivals,  to  be  non-essential.  The  rule  by 
which  the  apostles  and  the  churches  settled  the  question  of 
circumcision  (Acts  11 :  15-18  ;  15  :  7-11,  24-29)  settles  also 

15  Moore's  Presby.  Digest  (1873),  660;  Hodge's  Church  Polity,  196,  seq. 

16  Chap.  vii.  "  SchaflTs  Hist.  Clirist.  Ch.  i,  468,  469. 


MODE   OF  BAPTISM.  211 

the  question  of  the  mode  of  Imptism.  Indeed,  that  rule  re- 
mands the  dispute  as  to  the  mode  to  the  liml)o  of  dead 
issues.  And  we  may  say  to  those  who  insist  that  immersion 
alone  is  baptism,  what  Peter  said  to  the  Judaizing  Christians 
in  the  council  at  Jerusalem  :  "■  Why  tempt  ye  God,  that  ye 
should  put  a  yoke  upon  the  neck  of  tlie  disciples?"  since 
God  makes  "  no  difference  between  us  and  them,  cleansing 
their  hearts  by  faith"  (Acts  15:  9,  10).  As  all  modes  are 
thus  recognized  by  God  as  valid,  churches  should  not  scruple 
to  baptize  by  immersion  or  affusion  or  sprinkling,  as  the  sub- 
ject may  desire. 

§  152.  There  is  still  an  unended  controversy  over  the 
subjects  of  baptism. 

(1)  All  are  agreed  that  unbaf)tized  converts  should  be 
baptized  before  admission  to  church  privileges.  All  com- 
munions, except  the  Quakers,  make  baptism  the  indispensa- 
ble initiatory  rite  into  membership. 

(2)  The  infant  children  of  believers  should  be  baptized. 
Here  lies  the  contention,  the  Baptist  churches  on  one  side, 
all  other  communions  on  the  other  side  and  in  favor  of  such 
baptism.  If  baptism  takes  the  place  of  circumcision,  as  we 
have  stated  (§  149  :  1),  then  infant  baptism  follows  logically, 
as  the  children  are  included  with  their  parents  in  the  terms 
of  the  covenant  of  grace.  The  Baptists  reject  infant  baptism 
on  the  ground  that  it  wants  positive  commandment  and  tends 
to  corrupt  the  churches.  Other  communions  believe  in  and 
practise  it  on  the  ground  that  no  positive  command  is  needed, 
since  baptism  takes  the  place  of  circumcision,  as  Sunday 
takes  the  place  of  the  Sabbath,  without  positive  command- 
ment. On  the  same  principle,  no  command  was  given  to 
baptize  children,  because  the  covenant  itself  applied  its  seal 
to  children  by  express  command  (Gen.  17  :  12)  ;  and  because 
Paul  puts  all  Christians  under  the  Abrahamic  covenant  (Gal. 
3:  7,  29).  In  harmony  therewith  we  read  of  the  bap- 
tism of  households  (Acts  16 :  15,  33 :  1  Cor.  1 :  IG),  and 
the  express  teaching :   "  For  the  unbelieving  husband  is  sane- 


212  THE  CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

tifiecl  ill  the  wife,  and  the  unbelieving  wife  is  sanctified  in 
the  brother :  else  were  your  children  unclean ;  but  now  are 
they  holy  "  (1  Cor.  7  :  14).  It  does  not  appear  easy  to  break 
this  chain,  when  we  add  to  it  the  words  of  the  Master: 
'•'•  Suffer  the  little  children,  and  forbid  them  not,  to  come  unto 
me :  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven  "  (Matt.  19 :  14). 
This  is  confirmed  by  the  silence  of  the  early  Christian 
writers.  Infant  baptism  seems  to  have  displaced  infant  cir- 
cumcision so  naturally  that  when  it  for  the  first  time  is  re- 
ferred to  by  them,  it  is  neither  attacked  nor  defended,  as  if 
it  were  a  new  and  unusual  thing,  but  instead,  is  spoken  of  as 
a  common  practice.  Tertullian  (a.d.  145-220)  says  that 
"  the  delay  of  baptism  is  preferable ;  principally,  however, 
in  the  case  of  little  children."  ^^  Later,  infant  baptism  is  en- 
joined :  "  Do  you  also  baptize  your  infants,  and  bring  them 
up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  God."  ^^  Liberty,  how- 
ever, should  be  allowed  on  this  point,  both  of  belief  and  of 
practice. 

(3)  The  children  of  other  than  pious  parents  may  not  be 
baptized.  This  is  the  position  of  the  Reformed  Churches, 
since  they  regard  baptism  as  the  sign  and  seal  of  covenant 
relations,  which  makes  their  children  alone  holy  (1  Cor.  7 : 
14) ;  2*^  and  it  is  the  position  of  our  churches.^^  Those  not 
in  covenant  relations  with  God  can  not  of  course  claim  or 
share  in  the  promises,  nor  properly  engage  to  train  their 
children  in  "  the  chastening  and  admonition  of  the  Lord " 
(Eph.  6 :  4).  Their  unbelief  does  not  sanctify  their  seed. 
The  Roman  Catholics,  believing  that  baptism  is  necessary 
unto  salvation,  permit  the  children  of  those  outside  their 
communion  to  be  baptized,  and  that,  too,  in  peril,  by  any 
body.  Some  Lutherans  hold  that  all  children  are  by  birth, 
through  the  abounding  grace  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  (Rom.  5: 
12-21),  brought  into  covenant  relations  with  God,  and  con- 
sequently are  entitled  to  the  sign  and  seal  in  baptism,  what- 

"  On  Baptism,  xviii.  '^'■'  Apostolical  Constitutions,  book  vi,  chap.  xv. 

20  Moore's  Presby.  Digest,  663,  664.        21  Camb.  Confession,  chap,  xxix,  4. 


INFANT  BAPTISM  AND    CllUItCII  MEMBERSHIP.       213 

ever  their  parents  may  be.  Hence  they  would  baptize  all 
•  infants.  If  any  do  not  grow  up  to  be  true  disciples,  it  is 
because  they  have  apostatized.  It  is  not  wise  to  press  the 
position  of  the  Reformed  Churches  with  such  rigor  as  not  to 
baptize  dying  children  of  believing  parents  who  are  not 
members,  but  who  stand  ready  to  become  members.  Yet  an 
indiscriminate  baptism  of  infants  is  unwarranted  and  perni- 
cious, and  should  therefore  be  avoided. 

§  153.  The  relation  of  baptized  children  to  the  Church  is 
of  great  importance,  since  a  false  relation  easily  corrupts  the 
churches  and  becomes  the  strong  argument  of  the  oppo- 
nents of  infant  baptism.  Historically,  infant  baptism  has 
corrupted  the  churches.  But  does  the  normal  relation  of 
baptized  children  to  the  churches  corrupt  the  churches  and 
fill  them  with  unconverted  members  ?  We  believe  not.  But, 
in  answer,  let  us  consider  the  actual  and  possible  relations  of 
baptized  children  to  the  churches. 

(1)  It  might  be  held  that  baptism  makes  children  full 
members  in  the  church  and  entitles  them  to  all  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  the  church.  This  would  seem  to  be  the 
view  of  the  Greek  Church,  which  administers  the  eucharist 
to  babies ;  but  still  it  holds  to  the  sacrament  of  confirmation. 
The  same  would  seem  to  follow  from  the  doctrine  of  baptis- 
mal regeneration,  since  confirmation  is  reduced  by  that  doc- 
trine from  a  testing  as  to  the  fitness  of  the  candidates  and 
approval  of  the  worthy,  to  a  formal  ceremony,  the  candidates 
having  been  already  fitted  for  the  visible  Church  by  baptismal 
regeneration.  Still,  confirmation  is  held  and  practised  where 
baptismal  regeneration  is  taught,^  perhaps  as  an  ancient  and 
episcopal  recognition  of  said  regeneration. 

"  The  Trinity  Cliurch  Catechism  teaches  respecting  baptism :  — 
"  What  arc  ire  made  thereby  f 

Members  of  Cluist's  l)oiIy,  the  Church. 

}Pkat  is  the  result  of  this  f 

We  become  Goal's  adopted  cliiklren,  ami  lieirs  of  heaven. 

And  irhit  else  f 

We  are  deanseil  from  .-In,  ami  our  Ijodles  are  made  temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost," 
p.  17. 


214  THE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

(2)  Baptism  with  confirmation  makes  children  full  mem- 
bers of  the  Church.  Here  confirmation  is  separated  from 
baptism,  and  is  to  be  applied  to  youth,  on  approval.  With 
those  who  hold  to  baptismal  regeneration,  it  is  a  rite  for  the 
invigoration  of  the  spiritual  life  begun  in  baptism  as  the 
effect  of  baptism,  andshould  be  administered  to  all  baptized 
children  as  the  logical  consequence  of  baptism,  bringing 
them  into  full  membership  in  tlie  visible  Church.  This 
theory  of  baptism  and  confirmation  would  put  all  the  chil- 
dren of  Christian  parents  into  the  Church,  good  and  bad 
alike,  and  has  been  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  the  corruption 
of  the  churches  in  past  and  present  times.  By  it  the  whole 
population  soon  becomes  church  members,  while  bearing  few 
or  none  of  the  fruits  of  faith  and  the  Spirit  (Matt.  7  :  15-23  ; 
Gal.  5:  22-24).  The  charge  that  infant  baptism  corrupts 
the  churches  finds  here  its  cause  and  ample  justification. 

But  there  might  be  a  sufficient  guard  to  purity  here,  if 
confirmation  should  be  made  a  proper  test  of  religious  faith 
and  experience,  as  it  could  easily  be  made.  If  at  the  proper 
age  of  discretion,  candidates  were  to  be  examined  as  to  the 
fact  of  a  changed  heart  and  life,  and  admitted  or  rejected  ac- 
cording to  the  evidence,  confirmation  added  to  infant  baptism 
would  in  such  case  be  as  sure  a  guard  to  purity  as  a  similar 
testing  without  infant  baptism  could  possibly  be. 

(3)  Baptism  makes  children  presumptive  members  of  the 
church,  so  that,  if  free  from  scandal  and  possessed  of  suffi- 
cient intelligence,  they  may  become  full  members.  This  is 
the  position  of  the  Presbyterian  and  Reformed  Churches. 
"'Children  born  within  the  pale  of  the  visible  Church,  and 
dedicated  to  God  in  baptism,  are  under  the  inspection  and 
government  of  the  Church.  .  .  .  And  when  they  come  to 
years  of  discretion,  if  they  be  free  from  scandal,  appear  sober 
and  steady,  and  to  have  sufficient  knowledge  to  discern  the 
Lord's  body,  they  ought  to  be  informed  it  is  their  duty  and 
privilege  to  come  to  the  Lord's  Supper."  ^3     For  "  all  baptized 

23 1'resbj-.  Directory  for  Worship,  chap,  ix,  1. 


INFANT  BAPTISM  AND    CHURCH  MEMBERSHIP.       215 

persons  are  members  of  the  church,  are  under  its  care  and 
subject  to  its  care  and  discipline ;  and  when  they  have  ar- 
rived at  the  years  of  discretion,  tliey  are  bound  to  perform 
all  the  duties  of  church  members."  ^4  These  baptized  chil- 
dren, who  are  members  of  the  church,  are  not  required  to 
"make  a  public  professi(m  of  their  faith  in  the  presence  of 
the  congregation,"  for  only  unbaptized  persons  are  required 
to  do  this.-''  This  position  rests  on  the  church  membership 
of  baptized  children  and  on  the  presumption  that  they  are, 
unless  scandalous,  regenerate  persons,  fit  at  discretion  for  full 
communion  and  membership.  It  has  proved  no  better  guard 
than  confirmation,  except  where  modified,  as  among  the  New 
School  Presbyterians  in  this  country,  by  another  theory.  At 
this  point  of  the  relation  of  baptized  children  to  the  Church, 
the  Congregational  churches  took  decided  and  radical  issue 
with  the  Presbyterians.  They  did  not  hold  such  children  to 
be  in  full  membership,  nor  that  they  were  presumptively  re- 
generate persons,  nor  that  they  should  be  admitted  to  church 
privileges  without  public  profession  ;  but  they  held  that :  — 

(4)  Baptism  with  public  confession  of  Christ  makes  them 
full  church  members.  The  children,  in  virtue  of  the  cove- 
nant, may  receive  the  sign  and  seal ;  but  because  the  Church 
is  a  spiritual  body  whose  members  are  holy  (§  94),  the  bap- 
tized children,  like  the  unbaptized  adults,  "must  credibly 
show  and  profess  their  own  repentance  towards  God  and  faith 
towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  before  they  come  to  the 
Lord's  table,  or  are  recognized  as  members  in  full  commu- 
nion " ;  "  and  otherwise  they  are  not  to  be  admitted  there- 
unto." ^6  This  has  been  the  Congregational  position  from 
the  beginning,  except  as  partially  suspended  for  a  brief 
period  by  what  is  known  as  the  Half-way  Covenant.  Tliis 
position  regards  baptized  children  as  children  of  the  Church, 
not  as  full  members,  until  they  give  credible  proof  of  con- 

-*  Presby.  Discipline,  chap,  i,  vi. 

-5  Presby.  Directory  of  Worsliip,  chap,  ix,  Iv. 

^•^  Canib.  Plat,  xii,  7;  Boston  Plat.  part,  ii,  chap,  vii,  4. 


216  THE  CHURfiH-  KINGDOM. 

version  and  publicly  confess  Christ.  No  church  lecjuires 
more  than  this  for  adult  baptism.  Hence  no  guard  to  purity 
can  be  stronger  than  this.  Nor  is  this  a  recently  assumed 
position.  It  is  one  of  the  points  that  divided  the  Congrega- 
tionalists  and  Presbyterians  from  the  beginning.  It  separates 
the  former  also  from  all  othei*  old  communions. 

(5)  The  only  remaining  relation  of  children  to  the  Church 
is  that  of  consecration  in  baptism.  This  consecration  gives 
no  membership  in  the  Church,  but  leaves  the  children  in  this 
regard  as  though  they  had  not  been  baptized.  This  conse- 
cration seems  foreign  to  the  covenant  of  grace.  Infant  bap- 
tism is  more  than  this,  or  it  is  not  baptism. 

(6)  The  Baptist  position  that  children  hold  no  relation  to 
the  Church  of  God  is  contrary  to  the  covenant  which  binds 
the  three  dispensations  into  one.  That  covenant  from  the 
beginning  embraced  the  seed  of  the  pious.  It  was  expressly 
made  to  embrace  them  when  renewed  with  Abraham,  and 
later  with  the  children  of  Israel  at  Sinai.  Children  are  not 
expressly  excluded  from,  but  are  presumptively  included  in, 
the  covenant  which  is  continued  into  and  completed  in  the 
Christian  disj)ensation.  This  presumption  has  convinced  the 
vast  majority  of  Christian  churches  that  God  cares  still  for 
the  children  of  his  people. 

This  beautiful  rite  of  infant  baptism  need  not  subvert  the 
holy  nature  of  the  churches.  The  children  thus  presented 
are  not  made  church  members,  can  not  become  full  members 
until  they  publicly  profess  their  faith  in  Christ ;  yet  they  are 
the  children  of  the  Church,  to  be  enrolled,  watched  over,  and 
cared  for,  trained  up  for  Christ,  and  so  fitted  for  the  public 
confession.  It  is  needful,  therefore,  that  a  church  keep  a  roll 
of  its  baptized  children,  and  provide  special  means  for  their 
Christian  nurture. 

THE   lord's    supper. 

§  154.  The  second  sacrament  of  the  churches  is  the 
Lord's  Supper,  or  the  eucharist,  the  communion.     It  is  called 


THE  LORD'S  SUPPER.  217 

"the  Lord's  Supper  "  (1  Cor.  11 :  20)  because  it  is  eating  and 
drinking  togetlier  as  the  Lord  ordained.  It  was  early  named 
the  eucharist,^'  from  the  prayers  of  tlianksgivingthat  precede 
it.  It  is  also  called  the  communion,  or  the  holy  communion, 
because  it  is  the  communion  of  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ 
(1  Cor.  10 :  1(3),  and  the  fellowship  of  believers  together  and 
with  their  Head.  Each  name  brings  into  prominence  some 
essential  element  of  the  feast,  and  is  therefore  appropriate. 

(1)  It  is  the  ordinance  that  commemorates  the  dying  love 
and  sacrifice  of  Christ  for  the  sins  of  the  world.  It  is  not 
a  sacrifice  or  a  bloodless  propitiatory  offering  up  of  the  body 
and  blood  of  Christ  (§112:  4).  It  should  never  therefore 
be  spoken  of  as  the  mass  or  a  sacrifice.  It  is  a  memorial 
feast ;  for  in  it  we  "  proclaim  the  Lord's  death  till  he  come." 
It  is  also  a  sign  and  seal  of  the  covenant  of  promise.  Hence 
it  is  enjoined  as  a  perpetual  requirement  (1  Cor.  11 :  25,  26). 

(2)  This  sacrament  supersedes  the  passover.  It  was  in- 
stituted when  Jesus  had  eaten  the  Jewish  feast  with  the 
Twelve  and  the  traitor  had  withdrawn  (Matt.  2l3 :  20  ;  Mark 
14:  20;  John  13:  30;  Matt.  20:  2»3-29).  Christ  was  him- 
self the  Paschal  Lamb  sacrificed  for  sin  (John  1 :  29  ;  1  Cor. 
5:  7).  The  passover  as  a  saciifice  was  fulfilled  and  abol- 
ished in  his  death ;  but  as  a  feast  of  thankful  commemora- 
tion, it  is  still  continued  in  the  Lord's  Supper. 

(3)  Unlike  baptism,  this  sign  and  seal  of  the  covenant  is 
to  be  often  repeated ;  but  how  often  has  not  been  revealed. 
"  As  often  as  "  implies,  however,  frequency.  It  was  at  the 
first  probably  observed  daily,  then  weekly.  In  some 
churches  it  is  now  celebrated  weekly ;  in  others,  monthly ; 
in  others,  bi-monthly ;  but  in  others  less  frequently.  A  bi- 
monthly observance  avoids  the  evils  of  a  too  common 
observance  and  the  evils  of  infrequent  communions. 

(4)  The  elements  to  be  used  in  the  eucharist  are  bread 
and  the  juice  of  the  grape.  Christ  used,  we  believe,  un- 
leavened bread  and  wine.     I^eavened  bread  is  now  generally 

■''  Teachiug  Twelve  Apostles,  chap,  ix;  Ignatius,  Ep.  Phil.  iv. 


218  THE   (JHURCH- KINGDOM. 

used,  and  wine  or  the  nnfermented  juice  of  the  grape. 
Chi'ist  in  instituting  the  supper  did  not  use  the  word  wine. 
Nothing  but  the  juice  of  the  grape  in  wine  or  in  some  other 
form  should  ever  be  employed,  never  water  or  any  other 
liquid. 

(5)  The  mode  of  celebrating  the  eucharist  is  quite  diverse, 
although  the  way  Christ  instituted  it  is  well-nigh  certain. 
He  was  in  an  upper  room,  reclining  with  the  eleven  at  a  table 
in  the  ordinary  mode  of  eating  at  that  time.  Why  such 
stress  is  laid  on  the  mode  of  baptism,  when  that  mode  is  not 
specified,  and  so  little  stress  is  laid  on  the  mode  of  the  eu- 
charist, when  that  mode  is  well-nigh  certain,  seems  indeed 
strange.  Yet  Baptists  do  not  recline  when  they  celebrate. 
They,  with  others,  sit  in  pews ;  others  partake  standing  or 
kneeling ;  none  reclining.  The  mode  has  in  all  cases  been 
changed,  but  the  substance  has  been  retained.  The  bread 
and  the  cup  in  all  communions  but  that  of  the  Quakers 
"  proclaim  the  Lord's  death  till  he  come." 

(6)  The  sacrament  was  instituted  in  two  kinds,  was  com- 
manded in  both  the  bread  and  the  cup  (Matt.  26 :  27  ;  Mark 
14  :  23  ;  1  Cor.  11 :  26),  and  should  be  administered  to  all  in 
both  kinds.  "  It  was  the  frequent  accidental  spilling  of 
drops  of  wine  at  the  eucharist  that  first  led  to  the  withhold- 
ing of  the  cup  from  the  laity."  ^^  So  also  the  non-officiating 
Roman  priests  only  partake  in  one  kind.^^  Protestants  are 
right  in  returning  to  the  way  commanded  by  the  Master  of 
the  feast. 

§  155.  The  question  about  who  may  commune  in  this 
most  holy  sacrament  has  more  vital  bearings  than  might  be 
supposed.     It  needs,  therefore,  careful  examination. 

(1)  Communicants  are  regulated  by  different  conditions 
in  the  various  communions.  Neither  the  Roman  Catholics 
nor  the  Baptists  extend  the  privileges  of  this  sacrament  be- 
yond their  own  membership.     They  are  close  communionists. 

28  Fisher's  Discussions  in  Hist,  and  Theol.  60. 
20  Winer's  Conf.  Christendom,  278. 


TEEMS   OF  COMMUNION.  219 

This  is  probably  true  also  of  the  Greek  Church,  the  Ritual- 
ists, and  some  others.  Other  churches  hold  intercommunion 
at  the  table  of  the  Lord,  inviting  members  of  other  denomi- 
nations to  partake  with  them.  But  all  exclude  unbelievers, 
heretics,  excommunicates,  and,  except  the  Greek  Church, 
infants. 

(2)  They  agree  in  requiring  the  following  things  as  con- 
ditions of  participation  :  — 

(«)  The  communicant  must,  in  the  eye  of  charity,  be 
a  believer  in  Christ.  He  must  by  faith  be  a  member  of  the 
body  of  Christ,  a  citizen  of  the  church-kingdom.  The  com- 
munions differ  widely  as  to  this  faith  or  belief  and  its  proof, 
but  all  communicants  must  possess  it  in  some  degree  and 
form.  To  an  unbeliever  it  may  be  a  memorial,  but  it  can 
not  be  a  communion.     Faith  is  essential. 

(h)  Baptism  is  also  a  necessary  preliminary  of  the  eu- 
charist.  It  is  made  the  first  outward  duty  of  the  believer 
(Matt.  28:  19;  Mark  16:  16;  Acts  2:  38,  41 ;  8:  38;  9: 
18;  10:  48;  16:  15,  33;  19:  4,  5).  "Baptism  was,  by 
divine  precept,  the  necessary  condition  of  entrance  into  the 
Christian  Church,"  says  the  Roman  Catholic  historian, 
Alzog.^  "  Christians  of  every  name,  from  the  apostolic  age 
to  the  present,  with  hardly  a  dissentient  voice,  have  declared 
baptism  to  be  a  prerequisite  of  the  eucharist."  "  In  no  case 
is  the  Lord's  Sujjper  put  before  baptism,  in  no  ease  does  the 
narrative  recognize  any  interval  between  faith  and  baptism 
to  be  filled  by  the  Lord's  Supper."  ^i 

(e)  Church  membership  is  implied  in  baptism  as  a  condi- 
tion indispensable  for  partaking  of  the  emblems.  Believers 
were  added  to  the  churches  by  baptism.  That  rite  admitted 
them  to  visible  membership  therein.  "In  no  case  are  be- 
lievers brought  into  the  church  and  afterwards  baptized." 
"  Uniting  with  a  local  church  is,  therefore,  the  immediate 
sequence  and,  as  it  were,  the  natural  counterpart  of  the 
baptismal  vow."  •^- 

£«  Universal  Cli.  Hist.  1,  §  :'i,  Tu.  ^i  19  Bib.  Sacra,  14.5,  151.  32  Hjjd.  145, 153. 


220  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

(tZ)  These  three  conditions  are  confirmed  by  reference  to 
the  Jewish  passover,  which  the  Lord's  Supper  supplanted 
and  continues.  The  passover  was  instituted  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  exodus,  B.C.  1491,  or  1648.  Only  full  members 
of  the  kahal,  or  congregation,  of  Israel  could  partake  of  the 
passover.  "  A  sojourner  and  an  hired  servant  shall  not  eat 
thereof.  .  .  .  All  the  congregation  of  Israel  shall  keep  it.  And 
when  a  stranger  shall  sojourn  with  thee,  and  will  keep  the 
passover  to  the  Lord,  let  all  his  males  be  circumcised,  and 
then  let  him  come  near  and  keep  it;  and  he  shall  be  as  one 
that  is  born  in  the  land :  but  no  uncircumcised  person  shall 
eat  thereof.  One  law  shall  be  to  him  that  is  homeborn,  and 
unto  the  stranger  that  sojourneth  among  you  "  (Ex.  12  :  45- 
49).  Faith  is  here  required,  for  the  passover  must  be  kept 
"to  the  Lord,"  circumcision,  and  full  membership  in  the 
congregation  of  Israel,  for  the  circumcised  stranger  became 
as  one  1)orn  in  the  land.  No  one  could  thus  partake  of  the 
passover  who  wished,  until  he  had  complied  with  the  initia- 
tory rite,  which  also  involved  belief  in  the  God  of  the  Jews 
and  admitted  to  the  kahal  of  Israel.  Females  are  included 
in  the  consecration  and  circumcision  of  the  males. 

(3)  These  terms,  or  conditions,  are  confirmed  by  the  Scrip- 
tures and  history.     Here  we  may  note  :  — 

(a)  That  Judas  Iscariot  ate  the  passover  with  Christ,  but 
withdrew  before  the  institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper  (Matt. 
26:  20;  Mark  14:  17;  John  13:  30;  Matt.  26:  26-29). 
This  seems  to  have  been  the  order  of  events  as  held  by  the 
ablest  harmonists  and  commentators.  Thus  we  are  relieved 
of  the  repugnant  thought  that  the  traitor  partook  of  the 
sacrament  of  the  supper  with  the  Betrayed.  The  guiltiest 
of  men  did  not  probably  mar  with  his  presence  this  holiest 
of  rites. 

{b)  The  primitive  churches  excluded  from  the  room  all 
who  were  not  full  church  members.  "But  let  no  one  eat 
or  drink  of  your  eucharist,  except  those  baptized  into  the 
name  of  the  Lord;  for  as  regards  this,  the  Lord  hath  said: 


TEEMS   OF  COMMUNION.  221 

'  Give  not  that  wliich  is  holy  to  the  dogs.'  "  ^  Justin  Martyr 
(a.d.  110-165)  says :  "  And  this  food  is  called  among  us 
JSucharistia,  of  which  no  one  is  allowed  to  partake  but  the 
man  who  believes  that  the  things  which  we  teach  are  true, 
and  who  has  been  washed  with  the  washing  that  is  for  the 
remission  of  sins  and  unto  regeneration,  and  who  is  so  living 
as  Christ  has  enjoined.  For  not  as  common  bread  and  com- 
mon drink  do  we  receive  them."  ^  The  Divine  Liturgy  of 
James  excludes  catechumens,  the  unbaptized,  and  all  unable 
to  join  in  the  prayers,  from  the  room  where  the  eucharist 
is  celebrated.  An  ins[)ection  of  those  present  was  required.^ 
So  the  Apostolical  Constitutions  (a.d.  200-400)  says:  "But 
we  do  not  receive  them  to  communion  until  they  have  received 
the  seal  of  baptism  and  are  made  complete  Christians."^ 
"  Let  the  door  be  watched,  lest  any  unbeliever,  or  one  not 
yet  initiated,  come  in."  ^  "  Those  that  first  come  to  the 
mystery  of  godliness  (the  eucharist),  let  them  be  brought 
to  the  bishop,  or  to  the  presbytery,  by  the  deacons,  and  let 
them  be  examined  as  to  the  causes  wherefore  they  come  to 
the  Word  of  the  Lord;  and  let  those  that  bring  them  exactly 
in(|uire  about  their  character,  and  give  them  their  testi- 
mony."^    This  examination  is  then  detailed. 

(<?)  This  position  is  confirmed  by  the  nature  of  the  case, 
both  as  to  privileges  and  as  to  discipline.  The  prime  condi- 
tion of  the  existence  and  prosperity  of  any  organized  society 
is  that  it  furnishes  its  members  privileges  which  it  neither 
offers  to  others  nor  permits  them  to  share.  All  organizations 
rest  on  this  common-sense  principle,  and  the  primitive 
churches  guarded  their  most  sacred  privileges  even  from  the 
gaze  of  all  not  in  full  membership,  as  a  thing  demanded,  as 
the  condition  of  their  continuance  and  growth.  The  require- 
ments of  discipline  demand  the  same.  If  a  church  excom- 
municate a  member,  it  not  only  nullifies  its  action,  but  stulti- 

33  Teaching  Twelve  Apostles,  chap.  Ix.  ^  Apol.  i,  chap.  Ixvl. 

S-'  §  16.  "■  Book  ii,  chap,  xxxix.  »'  Ibid.  Ivii. 

3*  IhUl.  book  viii,  chap,  xxxii. 


222  THE  CHUECH-KINGD03I. 

fies  itself,  if  such  an  excommunicate  be  permitted  to  come 
to  the  Lord's  table  the  same  as  Ijefore.  To  permit  him  to 
commune  would  turn  discipline  into  a  farce ;  and  yet  some 
have  presumed  to  set  Scripture,  history,  and  common  sense 
aside,  and  opened  the  door  to  all  who  desire  to  commune. 
This  position  logically  ends  in  one  of  two  things:  either  in 
the  extinction  of  the  churches  that  adopt  it,  or  in  turning 
them  into  parish  churches,  including  the  whole  community  of 
worshipers  as  members.^^ 

(d'y  In  1865  our  churches  in  National  Council  re-affirmed 
the  position  taken  in  1648,  in  the  Cambridge  Platform,  and 
declared  that  not  only  unbaptized  adults,  but  also  baptized 
children,  "•  must  credibly  show  and  profess  their  OAvn  repent- 
ance towards  God  and  faith  towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
before  they  come  to  the  Lord's  table/'  *^  A  few  churches 
have  foolishly  ventured  to  open  tlie  table  of  our  Lord  to  all 
who  claim  to  love  him.  The  result  will  be  evil,  and  only 
evil.  Even  in  the  case  of  fresh  converts,  it  is  better  for  their 
Christian  nurture  that  they  wait  in  patience  until  they  can 
commune  in  an  orderly  way,  than  that  the  church  should 
set  them  an  example  of  disorder  on  the  threshold  of  their 
entrance  into  it.  They  should  be  taught  that  the  good  order 
of  the  church  is  more  than  their  convenience,  not  that 
their  convenience  is  to  override  church  rules  or  necessary 
usages. 

(4)  But  these  terms  or  conditions  of  communion  —  faith, 
baptism,  church  membership  —  may  not  be  increased.  They 
can  not  be  enlarged  at  pleasure.  No  church  can  rightly  bar 
from  its  communion  Ijy  unscriptural  tests,  —  such  as  total 

3-'  The  Arlington  Street  Uiiitanaii  Church  of  Boston,  in  1870,  opened  the  eucharist  to 
all  who  wished  to  commune,  whetlier  members  of  any  church  or  not.  But  for  thirteen 
years  no  one  joined  the  said  church;  and  to  prevent  its  members  from  becoming  too 
few  to  administer  certain  trust  fun('>s,  it  voted,  in  1884,  that  all  persons  of  full  age  who 
habitually  attended  its  services  should  be  regarded  as  members,  and  should  have  their 
names  entered  on  the  roll  of  the  church  as  full  members,  unless  they  declined  to  be  so 
enrolled.—  The  Congregationalist,  May  15,  1884.  This  is  the  logical  end  of  such  loose- 
ness. Hence  the  communions  which  have  opened  this  sacrament  to  all  report  not 
"  churches,"  but  "  societies,"  their  churches  having  largely  l)econie  parish  societies. 

*o  Boston  Plat,  part  it,  vii,  4. 


TEEMS   OF  COMMUNION.  223 

abstinence,  the  singing  of  the  Psahns  only  in  church  worship, 
the  immersion  of  believers  in  ba[)tism,  and  the  like, — for 
such  legislation  has  not  been  granted  it.  The  Lord  and 
King  can  alone  make  laws  for  the  guidance  of  his  own. 
Churches  have  no  right  therefore  to  exclude  from  their  com- 
munion the  members  of  other  churches  which  God  recognizes 
as  his  churches  by  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  If  God  never 
recognized  as  his,  by  revivals  and  the  fruits  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  churches  that  sing  hymns,  or  used  intoxicating  liquors, 
or  baptized  by  sprinkling  or  pouring,  then  his  true  churches 
would  be  justified  in  imposing  such  terms  as  tests  of  com- 
munion ;  but  since  God  makes  no  such  distinction,  his 
churches  should  not.  This  reasoning  is  Scriptural,  reason- 
able, and  conclusive.  It  is  that  which  was  used  in  settling 
the  dis})ute  about  circumcision  in  the  days  of  the  apostles. 
When  Peter  was  brought  before  the  church  at  Jerusalem  for 
his  visit  to  the  Roman  Cornelius,  he  vindicated  himself  by 
his  vision,  and  by  the  fact  that  God  gave  unto  the  uncircum- 
cised  the  like  gift  as  he  did  unto  the  circumcised,  and  asked: 
''  Who  was  I,  that  I  could  withstand  God  ?  "  (Acts  11 :  1-18). 
The  controversy  that  caused  the  council  at  Jerusalem  was 
settled  on  the  same  principle  exactly,  that  God,  in  the  gift  of 
his  Spirit,  "  made  no  distinction  between  "  the  one  side  and 
the  other,  cleansing  the  hearts  of  all  by  faith  (Acts  15 :  9, 
28,  29).  So  we  say  to  all  who  insist  on  tests  which  God 
does  not  command  or  regard :  ''  Why  tempt  ye  God  in  so 
doing  ?  "  And  there  is  no  answer ;  for  God  knows  the  hearts 
of  men  and  the  bearing  of  acts,  and  where  he  makes  no  dis- 
tinction his  churches  can  claim  no  right  to  make  one.  When 
God  makes  immersion  necessary  unto  the  gift  of  his  Spirit, 
his  churches  may  make  it  necessary  unto  communion :  but 
not  till  then.     And  so  of  all  other  terms  of  communion. 

This  argument  covers  all  doctrines,  rites,  ceremonies,  and 
polities.  It  covers  also  all  organizations  and  unorganized 
believers.  At  first  the  test  was  more  easily  applied  than 
afterwards,  for  the  gift  of  the  Spirit  was  then  attended  with 


224  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

miraculous  powers  (Acts  2 :  4 ;  8 :  17-19),  but  not  in  later 
times.  Yet  here  time  reveals  the  gift  of  the  Spirit  in  revi- 
vals and  graces,  or  the  absence  of  these  shows  that  the  Spirit 
is  withheld. 

§  156.  The  invitation  to  the  eucharist  should  be  con- 
formed to  these  terms  or  prerequisites.  It  should  include 
only  such  as  have  confessed  their  love  for  Christ  in  baptism 
and  are  in  orderly  connection  with  some  evangelical  church. 
The  invitation  should  not  ignore  faith,  baptism,  and  church 
membership,  but  treat  them  all  as  prerequisites. 

(1)  This  is  the  common  invitation :  "  All  members  in 
good  standing  in  sister  and  evangelical  churches  are  cor- 
dially invited  to  commune  with  us,"'  or  words  to  the  same 
effect.  It  should  have  regard  for  three  essential  things  :  (a) 
church  membershii),  which  implies  faith  and  baptism  ;  (J)  the 
evangelical  faith ;  and  (c)  church  discipline. 

But  it  is  sometimes  said  that  the  table  is  the  Lord's,  and 
that  therefore  whosoever  will  may  freely  partake.  But  the 
Church  is  also  the  Lord's,  and  on  the  same  principle  any  body 
and  every  body  may  join  it,  without  conditions,  who  will. 
The  communion  table  is  no  more  the  Lord's  than  the  local 
church.  The  Lord  has  imposed  conditions  for  admission  to 
each  (§§  94:  2  (J);  155:  2),  and  it  is  the  duty  of  every 
church  to  enforce  them.  Unless  a  church  can  open  its  doors 
to  every  body,  it  can  not  its  communion  table.  It  has  the 
same  right  and  power  of  exclusion  from  one  as  from  the 
other.  If  no  restriction  can  be  placed  on  communicants, 
none  can  be  or  will  be  placed  on  membership.  I  f  the  respon- 
sibility be  thrown  upon  each  individual  to  commune  or  not, 
as  he  likes,  then  the  Church  vacates  its  divine  authority  and 
admits  excommunicates,  those  who  deny  the  Lord  that  bought 
them  with  his  precious  blood,  and  infidels,  to  its  holiest 
act  of  communion  and  worship.  It  is  no  justification  for  the 
Church  to  say :  "  The  fault  is  not  ours,  but  that  of  the  un- 
worthy communicant" ;  for  the  fault  lies  partly  in  the  invita- 
tion it  gives.     It  is  not  only  the  right,  but  also  the  duty,  of 


INVITATTOy   TO    THE   SUPPER.  225 

a  church  to  use  the  authority  given  it  iu  keeping  its  highest 
act  of  worship  free  from  the  enemies  of  the  cross  of  Christ, 
as  the  apostles  and  primitive  churches  did ;  and  it  must  not 
open  the  door  by  its  invitation  to  such  enemies. 

(2)  Nor  can  the  pastor  presume  to  control  the  invitation 
to  the  eucharist.  He  is  not  the  church ;  lie  is  not  greater 
than  the  church.  He  has  no  right  to  alter  or  set  aside  the 
customary  invitation  of  a  church  to  tlie  supper,  mnch  less 
the  Scriptural  conditions  of  communion.  If  a  pastor  usurp 
such  authority,  the  church  should  at  once  curb  his  papal 
pretensions. 

A  church  should  control  its  invitation  to  the  T>ord's  Supper, 
and  should  make  it  conform  to  the  prerequisites  above  given, 
and  allow  no  pastor  to  alter  or  neglect  said  invitation.*^ 

§  157.  The  question.  Who  shall  administer  the  sacra- 
ments? has  very  important  ecclesiastical  bearings.  Does 
their  efficacy  depend  upon  the  administrator  ?  and,  if  so,  in 
what  sense  ? 

(1)  In  ordinary  circumstances  ordained  ministers  should 
administer  the  sacraments.  There  is,  in  tlie  churches  a 
ministerial  function  (§  ll--^),  recognized  by  the  churches 
in  ordination  (§  121),  and  good  order  requires  that  those 
thus  recognized  should  ordinaril}-  administer  both  sacra- 
ments. "  The  ministerial  authority  committed  to  the  pastor- 
ate consists,  on  Romish  and  Protestant  principles,  in  the 
})reaching  of  the  Word,  the  administration  of  the  sacra- 
ments,"*^ etc.  "The  mother  confession  of  Protestantism" 
declares  "  that  no  man  should  publicly  in  the  church  teach, 
or  administer  the  sacraments,  except  he  be  rightly  called."  ^'^ 
Our  platforms  teach  that  the  work  of  the  ministry  is,  among 
other  things,  "  to  administer  the  seals  of  that  covenant,  unto 
the  dispensation  whereof  they  are  alike  called : '"  **  "  to  ad- 
minister the  sacraments."  '^^  All  the  communions  which 
believe  in  a  ministerial  function   recognized    in    ordination 

<'  i<\  Cong.  Quarterly,  ^"o,  :Jeq.  *=  \\'iiier's  Confessloi\s  of  C'hrl>»t.  §  20. 

^  ■  Aiigsljuri?  Conf.  xiv.  **  Camb.  Plat,  vi,  5.  *'•  Boston  Plat,  part  ii,  Iv,  4. 


226  THE   CHUBCH-KIXGDOM. 

hold  also  that  "  it  is  a  matter  of  propriety  and  order  that  the 
sacraments  should  be  administered  by  those  only  who  have 
been  cfuly  called  and  appointed  to  that  service."'^ 

The  apostles  seem  to  have  left  baptism  largely  to  others 
to  administer  (Acts  10 :  48  ;  1  Cor.  1 :  17),  as  Christ  had 
left  it  to  his  disciples  (John  4 :  2)  ;  for  their  chief  business 
was  preaching  and  founding  churches,  not  in  baptizing  con- 
verts. They  committed  the  administration  of  the  sacraments 
to  the  ordinary  and  permanent  ministry,  with  whom  it  has 
since  remained. 

(2)  Yet  laymen  may  sometimes  administer  the  sacraments. 
Deacons,  Presbyterian  ruling  elders,  and  licentiates  are  lay- 
men ;  and  they,  as  also  other  laymen,  may  sometimes,  in 
emergencies,  administer.  Tertullian  (a.d.  145-220)  said: 
"Besides  these  [bishops,  presbyters,  and  deacons],  even  lay- 
men have  the  riglit  [to  baptize]  ;  for  what  is  equally  received 
can  be  equally  given.  .  .  .  The  word  of  the  Lord  ought  not 
to  be  hidden  by  any  ;  in  like  manner,  too,  baptism,  which  is 
equally  God's  property,  can  be  administered  by  all."  *'  Hatch 
says :  "•  Baptism  by  an  ordinar}^  member  of  the  church  was 
held  to  be  valid."  "The  functions  which  the  officers  per- 
formed were  such  as,  apart  from  tlie  question  of  order,  might 
be  performed  by  any  member  of  the  community."  "^^ 

(3)  The  validity  and  efficacy  of  the  sacraments  do  not 
depend  on  the  administrator.  This  is  admitted  by  all  com- 
munions. "•  The  Koman  and  Greek  Churches  permit,  under 
pressing  circumstances,  baptism  by  unordained  hands,  includ- 
ing those  of  the  midwife,  or  even  of  persons  not  Christian, 
as  Jews,  infidels,  and  heretics.  The  Reformed  Church  has 
declared  against  this  Ijajatism  in  distress."  *^  "  Lutherans 
and  Reformed  agree  in  teaching  that  the  efficacy  of  the  sacra- 
ments does  not  depend  on  any  thing  in  him  who  administers 
them."  ^     The   communions  that  regard  the   ministry  as  a 

*<•  Hodge's  System.  Theology,  iii,  514.  «'  On  Baptism,  xvii. 

<8  Org.  Early  Christ.  Chlis.  ll.i,  1-23.  *'■>  Winer's  Couf.  Christ,  xx. 

so  Hodge's  System.  Theology,  iii,  514. 


LAYMEY  3f.ir  ADMIXISTER.  227 

priesthood,  the  communion  table  an  altar,  and  the  bi'ead  and 
wine  a  veritable  propitiatory  sacrifice,  permit  only  priestly 
hands  to  administer  the  eucharist ;  and  Protestants  generally 
hold  that,  while  the  efficacy  of  a  sacrament  does  not  depend 
on  the  administrator,  good  order  requires  that  laymen  ad- 
minister only  under  the  following  conditions  :  — 

(a)  There  must  be  some  pressing  exigency  demanding 
extraordinary  relief.  No  gulf  could  be  wider  than  that  put 
by  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  between  its  priesthood  and 
its  laity ;  yet,  its  doctrine  that  baptism  is  necessary  unto 
salvation,''^  allows,  in  case  of  imminent  death,  that  gulf  to  be 
bridged,  so  that  women,  Jews,  heretics,  and  infidels  may  ad- 
minister valid  baptism.  The  exigency  here  is  the  eternal 
loss  of  a  soul,  unless  such  baptism  l^e  administered,  though 
it  be  that  of  a  babe  a  few  minutes  old.  There  is  no  such 
pressing  exigency  among  Protestants,  who  reject  the  Romish 
dogma  of  infant  damnation  in  all  cases  where  baptism  is  not 
administered ;  but  there  may  arise  circumstances  which  war- 
rant lay  administration.  The  inconvenience  of  a  delay  or  an 
exchange,  or  both,  does  not,  however,  create  such  exigency. 
A  licentiate  should  exchange  rather  than  administer,  even 
though  the  eucharist  be  postponed  for  a  Sunday  or  two. 
The  Pilgrims  at  Plymouth  are  a  worthy  example.  They 
waited  nearly  five  years  without  the  sacraments  before  they 
wrote  their  pastor  in  Holland  aljout  the  propriety  of  tlieir 
ruling  elder  administering  the  sealing  ordinances.  John 
Robinson  replied  to  Brewster :  ''  I  judge  it  not  lawful  for 
you  —  being  a  ruUng  elder  —  ...  as  opposed  to  the  elders 
that  teach  and  labor  in  word  and  doctrine  —  to  which  the 
sacraments  are  annexed  —  to  administer  them  [the  sacra- 
ments], nor  convenient  [expedient],  if  it  were  lawful." ''^ 
This  patient  waiting  exhibits  a  strength  of  character  and 
adhesion  to  principle  which  made  that  Pilgrim  church  a  pat- 
tern and  model  for  all  the  churches  of  the  Bay  Colony,  and 

"ii  Council  of  Trent,  on  Baptism,  canon  v. 

»2  Quoted  from  Dr.  Bacon's  Genesis  of  New  England  Churches,  402,  403. 


228  THE   CHURCH- KIXCiDOM. 

whose  '"'•form  of  worship"  the  churches  of  Massachusetts 
"  universally  followed."  ^ 

(h)  The  church  must  recognize  this  exigency  and  empower 
a  layman  to  administer.  When  an  emergency  or  exigency 
arises  the  church  will  know  it,  and,  after  due  patience,  if  it 
be  not  removed,  the  church  can,  by  vote  or  general  consent, 
empower  a  layman  to  administer  baptism  or  the  eucharist, 
or  both ;  but  no  licentiate  or  deacon  or  other  layman  should 
j^resume  to  administer  on  his  own  option.  The  emergency 
must  be  sufficient,  in  the  judgment  of  the  membership,  to 
justify  the  departure  from  the  usual  order ;  lest  a  division  of 
opinion  disturb  the  peace  of  the  church.^ 

(4)  It  was  not  essential  to  the  validity  of  circumcision 
that  it  be  performed  by  a  priest,  and  no  priest  was  required 
to  be  present  at  the  eating  of  the  j)ftssover,  and  no  priest  was 
present  at  the  synagogue  worship ;  and  in  the  churches  of 
Christ  no  ordained  ministry  is  essential  for  their  worsliip, 
or  for  baptism,  or  for  the  eucharist.  Yet,  as  Christ  has  ap- 
pointed a  ministerial  function  in  his  churches,  and  calls  men 
to  exercise  that  function,  and  has  given  his  churches  the 
right  to  recognize  those  he  calls  in  ordination,  good  order 
and  propriety  require  that  public  worship,  baptism,  and  the 
Lord's  Supper  be  committed  into  the  hands  of  this  ministry, 
except  in  the  most  pressing  exigencies. 

w  Hutchinson's  Hist.  Mass.  i,  369. 
"  See  17  Cong.  Quarterly,  525,  seq. 


LECTURE   IX. 

THE   DOCTRINE   OF   THE   CHRISTIAN    CHURCH.  —  DISCIPLINE. 

"  Brethren,  even  if  a  man  be  overtaken  in  any  trespass,  ye  trhich  are  spirit- 
ual, restore  such  an  one  in  the  spirit  of  meekness ;  looking  to  thyself,  lest  thou 
also  be  tempted.'''  —  Saint  Paul. 

"  If  any  one  cometh  unto  you,  and  bringeth  not  this  teaching,  receive  him 
not  into  yottr  house,  and  give  him  no  greeting  :  for  he  that  giveth  him  greet- 
ing jtartaketh  in  his  evil  loorks.^'  —  Saint  John. 

§  158.  In  a  church  society  with  members,  officers,  wor- 
ship, sacraments,  limitations  of  action,  it  is  manifest  that  the 
divine  instructions  respecting  its  nature,  materials,  manage- 
ment, and  relations  need  to  be  gathered  into  a  creed,  cove- 
vant,  and  rules,  which  may  be  called  its  l)ook  of  discipline. 
Such  a  standard  promotes  not  only  decorum,  but  also  justice, 
purity,  peace,  and  efficiency.  If  the  discipline  be  not  formu- 
lated in  some  recognized  standard,  confusion  and  decay  fol- 
low. That  standard  may  be  written  or  traditional,  long  or 
short,  rigid  or  free ;  but  no  church  can  long  survive  without 
such  recognized  rules  of  procedure.  We  call  such  standard 
the  discipline  of  that  church.  It  includes  the  general  man- 
agement as  well  as  the  dealing  with  offences,  and  may  conse- 
quentl}'  be  divided  into  two  departments. 

So  uniformity  of  procedure  among  churches  is  desirable; 
not  an  enforced  uniformity  such  as  drove  our  ecclesiastical 
fathers  out  of  England,  but  a  voluntary  uniformity,  such  as 
independent,  yet  affiliated,  churches  may  agree  upon.  Other- 
wise unnecessary  confusion  arises.  Thus,  though  fleeing  from 
enforced  uniformity,  the  General  Court  of  the  Colony  of  the 
Massachusetts  Bay,  in  1635,  entreated  "  the  elders  and  breth- 
ren of  every  church  within  this  jurisdiction"  "to  consult  and 
advise  of  one  uniform  order  of  discipline  in  the  churches, 
agreeable  to  the  Scriptures,  and  then  to  consider  how  far  the 


230  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

magistrates  are  bound  to  interpose  for  the  preservation  of 
that  uniformity  and  peace  of  the  churches."  ^ 

§  159.  The  general  conduct  of  the  affairs  of  a  church 
comes  under  the  comprehensive  name  discipline.  We  may- 
notice  briefly  a  few  things  here. 

(1)  The  order  of  church  services  concerns  the  church 
more  vitally  than  many  imagine.  As  those  services  are  for 
edification  (§  144:  2),  and  not  for  the  convenience  of  the 
pastor,  it  is  for  the  church  to  determine  what  shall  go  into 
the  order  of  worship,  and  how  that  order  shall  be  arranged. 
No  material  cliange  should  be  made  in  that  order  without 
the  vote  of  the  church. 

(2)  So  the  times  of  regular  and  special  meetings,  whether 
for  worship  or  for  business,  should  be  fixed  by  the  church  — 
regular  meetings  by  rule,  and  special  meetings  by  vote ;  so 
that  the  church  will  feel  that  such  meetings  are  theirs,  to  be 
attended  and  sustained. 

(3)  The  pastor  is  the  presiding  officer  in  all  church  meet- 
ings that  do  not  concern  himself.  Meetings  held  about  a 
call,  discipline,  dismissal,  and  salary  of  a  pastor  are  matters 
in  which  the  pastor  is  so  intimately  concerned  that  pro- 
priety forbids  his  presiding  while  they  are  under  considera- 
tion. The  pastor  needs  to  be  versed  in  parliamentary  usages, 
that  he  may  observe  the  rules  that  make  for  peace.  If  he 
trample  on  rules  of  order,  he  thereby  trains  the  church  to 
lawlessness.  Instead,  he  should  train  all  to  do  the  business 
of  the  church  in  a  legal  way.  Hence  the  church  should 
adopt  rules  to  guide  him. 

The  church  should  adopt  and  give  to  every  member  and 
officer  rules  for  their  guidance,  called  standing  rules,  defining 
what,  when,  and  how  business  should  be  done.  And  such 
rules  ought  to  be  scrupulously  observed  in  times  of  peace, 
that  they  may  be  observed  in  times  of  trouble ;  for  rules 
broken  in  peace  can  not  be  enforced  in  strife.  A  church  well 
disciplined  in  this  regard  is  like  a  ship  manned  by  trained 
men,  able  to  weather  storms  that  wreck  others. 

1  Records  of  the  Colony,  i,  14.3. 


STANDING  RULES.  231 

(4)  The  importance  of  regularity  in  all  business  meetings 
of  the  church  needs  to  be  emphasized.  These  meetings 
ought  not  to  depend  upon  the  presence  of  a  pastor,  but  be 
held  whether  he  be  present  or  not,  whether  the  church  has  a 
pastor  or  not.  Most  unhappily  the  thought  of  some  churches 
is  so  centered  on  their  pastors  that  the  church,  as  an  organi- 
zation, has  httle  consideration.  The  church  becomes  a  con- 
gregation, to  do  as  the  pastor  wills  without  regard  to  its 
standing  rules  or  organic  interests.  This  is  so  common  that 
for  a  church  to  assert  its  right  to  determine  its  rules,  worship, 
and  affairs  is  sometimes  regarded  by  a  pastor  as  cause  for 
resigning.  Yet  the  church,  not  the  pastor,  is  clothed  with 
the  power  of  government.  Where  there  is  a  dual  organiza- 
tion, a  church  and  its  ecclesiastical  society,  there  is  great 
danger  that  the  church  will  fail  in  organic  development  and 
regularity  of  procedure.  The  society,  in  fact,  absorbs  in 
some  instances  the  functions  of  the  church,  so  that  church 
officers  are  elected  by  the  secular  society  and  all  church 
business  meetings  cease  to  be  held.  If  such  cases  are  rare, 
they  are  numerous  enough  to  warn  against  the  fatal  neglect. 
The  efficiency  and  prosperity  and  peace  of  a  church  are 
largely  dependent  upon  its  thorough  organization  and  prompt 
attention  to  business  matters.  Hence  churches,  like  regi- 
ments of  the  great  Captain's  army,  should  be  trained  by 
their  officers  into  such  discipline  that  all  things  will  be  done 
decently  and  in  order,  whether  they  have  pastors  or  not. 

But  church  discipline  is  more  specifically  and  generally 
confined  to 

DEALING   WITH    OFFENDERS. 

« 

§  160.  And  here  certain  preliminary  matters  need  to  be 
considered. 

(1)  The  mode  of  discipline  avtIII  be  determined  by  the 
theory  of  the  church  which  is  held.  As  there  are  four  sueli 
theories  (§§  44,  79,  80),  there  will  be  four  methods  or  pro- 
cesses of  discipline  in  some  essential  particulars.      A  disci- 


232  THE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

pline  foreign  to  a  theory  can  not  be  engrafted  upon  it ;  for 
either  it  will  transform  the  theory  into  another  or  be  thrown 
off  as  a  foreign  element.  Discipline  may  be  lax  or  rigid,  but 
its  form  is  determined  by  the  theory  of  the  church  that  is 
held. 

(2)  Defects  in  administration  are  of  little  weight.  Human 
nature,  even  when  renewed,  is  faulty,  and  no  administration 
of  discipline,  under  any  theory,  can  escape  defects.  The 
primitive  churches,  under  the  eyes  of  the  apostles,  were  not 
blameless  here.  Even  the  apostles  were  found  fault  with 
(Acts  6  :  1-6).  It  avails  nothing,  then,  to  cite  slips  in  disci- 
pline against  any  church  i^olity,  unless  it  can  be  shown  that 
those  slips  arise  from  the  polity  and  not  from  man's  common 
infirmities. 

(3)  Yet  there  is  a  drift  in  the  discipline  of  any  commun- 
ion, determined  by  the  theory  of  the  church  that  is  held, 
which  makes  for  purity  or  for  corruption,  and  so  a  polity  may 
be  judged  by  that  drift.  This  drift  requires  long  periods  to 
be  fully  developed,  but  when  developed,  it  is  decisive ;  for  it 
arises  from  the  nature  of  the  theory  itself.  If  that  drift 
makes  for  purity  in  faith  and  life,  it  proves  the  theory,  so  far 
forth,  to  be  true ;  but  if  the  drift  be  to  compromise  with  error 
or  corruption,  it  proves  the  theory,  so  far  forth,  to  be  false. 
Herein  the  history  of  churches  becomes  a  test  by  which  to 
judge  of  the  theories  held  by  them,  after  due  allowance  is 
made  for  the  civil,  social,  and  moral  environment  of  the  age 
and  country.  "  The  primitive  communities  were  what  they 
were  mainly  by  the  strictness  of  their  discipline."  ^  Tliis 
strictness  gave  way  to  looseness  when  the  primitive  theory  of 
the  Church  was  perverted  into  the  Episcopal  and  the  Papal 
Theories  of  the  Church. 

(4)  Special  study  of  church  discipline  in  its  dealing  with 
offenders  is  needed  by  the  members  and  officers  of  free 
churches.  It  needs  to  be  studied  liistorically  and  practically, 
and  that  for  two  reasons  :  — 

2  Hatch's  Org.  Early  Christ.  Chhs.  68. 


TEST  OF  CHURCH  DISCIPLINE.  233 

(a)  Discipline  is  ever  needed.  There  is  no  church  so  pure 
as  not  to  require  it.  No  polity,  and  no  stage  of  piety  yet 
attained,  can  escape  either  the  duty  or  the  test  of  discipline. 
And  what  is  ever  needed,  both  the  members  and  the  officers 
of  a  church  should  be  ever  ready  to  perform.  They  are 
culpable,  especially  the  officers,  if  they  neglect  to  study 
discipline. 

(i)  For  mistakes  in  discipline  rend  churches  as  nothing 
else  can  rend  them.  Mistakes  work  injustice  and  divisions, 
which  can  not  be  remedied.  Right  action  in  the  right  spirit 
may  stir  up  a  church,  but  time  quiets  and  heals  ;  for  there 
are  no  wrongs  to  be  righted,  no  injustice  to  be  remedied. 
Hence  both  officers  and  members  owe  it  to  Christ  and  to 
their  future  peace  and  prosperity  to  make  no  mistakes  here. 
They  must  proceed  with  a  sure  step.  It  is  better  to  study 
the  case  up  in  all  its  bearings  before  beginning,  so  as  to  make 
no  mistake,  than  to  spend  nights  in  study  and  call  a  council 
to  help  the  church  out  of  the  whirlpool  into  which  a  single 
mistake  may  plunge  matters.  Church  and  officers,  but  espe- 
cially the  pastor,  should  know  the  authority,  the  principles, 
the  ends,  the  rules,  the  subjects,  the  limits  of  church  disci- 
pline, that  they  may  walk  with  a  sure  foot  in  every  step  of 
the  procedure. 

(5)  The  Congregational  Theory  of  the  Christian  Church 
requires  the  same  essential  form  of  discipline,  though  the 
details  of  the  process  may  be  variant.  This  we  shall  set 
forth. 

§  161.  The  authority  of  church  discipline  lies,  since  the 
death  of  the  apostles,  in  the  particular,  or  local,  congregation 
of  believers.  Since  each  believer  can  come  boldly  unto  the 
throne  of  grace  with  no  mediator  but  Clirist,  it  might  be 
claimed  that  he  is,  therefore,  responsible  to  Christ  alone  for 
his  belief  and  conduct.  Were  there  a  human  priesthood  to 
mediate  for  him,  he  might  be  called  by  it  to  account ;  but 
this  priesthood  being  absorbed  in  Christ,  the  believer  can  be 
in  subjection  to  no  other  authority.     This  is  true  when  taken 


234  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

in  the  right  sense,  as  we  shall  see ;  but  when  taken,  as  it 
sometimes  is,  it  is  disintegrating,  destructive,  forbidden. 
Chiist  did  not  thus  resolve  his  manifested  kingdom  into 
unaffiliated,  irresponsible,  individual  integers,  but  gathered 
those  personal  integers  into  responsible  relations,  one  to 
another,  in  local  churches,  with  the  power  and  command 
of  discipline  (§  99). 

(1)  The  authority  wliich  a  church  has  to  discipline  its 
members  is  not  original,  but  derived  from  the  Lord  Christ. 
It  is  true  that  every  organization  has  the  inherent  right 
and  power  of  self-protection,  of  excluding  unfit  persons. 
Churches,  like  associations  of  churches  (§§  209,  210),  have 
this  common  and  essential  right  and  power.  But  church 
discipline  is  much  more  than  this.  A  local  church  can  do 
what  no  other  body,  not  even  an  association  of  churches,  can 
do,  namely :  apply  to  a  member  the  grace  of  discipline  for 
his  spiritual  edification.  Church  discipline  is  a  means  of 
grace  as  really  as  the  preaching  of  the  Word,  prayer,  and 
the  sacraments,  committed  by  the  Master  to  local  churches. 
Associations  of  churches  are  not  empowered  to  exercise  it, 
though  they  can  clear  themselves  of  unworthy  members 
(§§  211,  212) ;  but  churches,  though  composed  of  only 
two  or  three,  have  had  given  them  this  power  of  the  keys 
(Matt.  18:  15-20).  Thus  the  power  of  exclusion  is  natural, 
belonging  to  all  organizations ;  but  the  authority  of  discipline 
is  conferred  by  Christ  Jesus.  Whatever  body  has  this  com- 
mission from  Christ,  the  Head,  acts  therein  as  Christ's  vice- 
gerent on  earth,  whose  action  he  expressly  ratifies  (Matt.  18 : 
18);  (§99:  2,3). 

(2)  That  Clirist  has  made  the  local  church  the  repository 
of  this  authority  of  discipline,  and  not  the  Pope  or  the  Epis- 
copacy or  the  General  Assembly,  we  have  abundantly  shown 
(§§  106,  107,  108).  The  power  of  the  keys  given  also  to 
the  apostles  for  the  founding  of  churches  (§§  115:  5) 
ceased  when  they  died,  since  they  left  no  successors  (§  116  : 
3).      The    sole   authority   to   administer    discipline    in    the 


AUTHORITY  OF   DISCIPLINE.  235 

name  of  Christ  and  by  his  commands  is,  therefore,  perma- 
nently deposited  with  local  churches  (§  99). 

(3)  The  extent  of  this  authority  is  limited.  It  may  be 
carried,  if  the  offender  be  incorrigible,  to  the  extent  of 
entire  separation  from  the  Church,  but  not  to  fines  and  im- 
prisonment. These  belong  to  the  State,  from  which  the 
churches  have  been  separated  (§  225).  For  the  force  of 
"  binding  "  and  "  loosing  "  see  §  99  :  3. 

§  162.  We  need  say  little  as  to  the  subjects  of  church 
discipline.  Each  church  has  authority  over  its  own  mem- 
bers, whether  officers  or  not,  but  not  over  the  members  of 
other  chui'ches  or  over  those  not  members.  Its  jurisdiction 
is  limited  by  its  own  full  membership. 

(1)  Election  to  office  does  not  release  laymen  from  disci- 
pline. They  can  be  dealt  with  as  any  other  offenders, 
removed  from  office  and  excommunicated,  for  cause.  Dea- 
cons, clerks,  treasurers,  committeemen,  can  be  disciplined ; 
and  excommunication  removes  from  office. 

(2)  Ministers,  in  virtue  of  their  Christian  character  and 
ministerial  function,  require  a  twofold  process.  As  church 
officers  they  can  be  removed  from  office  by  tlieir  respective 
churches,  like  other  officers.  Tlius  the  church  at  Corinth 
removed  its  elders.^  As  church  members  they  can  be  dealt 
with  as  other  members.  But  as  ministers,  whose  divine  call 
to  the  work  has  been  recognized  in  ordination  by  the 
churches,  they  can  rightly  claim  that  their  ministerial  stand- 
ing thus  secured  shall  not  be  jeopardized  by  the  action  of  a 
single  local  church.  Ministers,  tliougli  subject  to  discipline, 
are  not  to  be  treated  like  private  members  (§§  122,  131  :  5). 

(3)  Baptized  chiltlren  are  not  made  thereby  full  members 
(§  153),  and  so  do  not  fall  under  the  censures  of  a 
church.  There  should  be  the  discipline  of  nurture  but  not 
of  censure,  until  by  confession  of  Christ  in  public  they 
become  full  members  (§153). 

§  163.     The   offences   demanding   notice   in    the   way   of 

»  Clement  Romanus,  Ep.  Cor.  xllv. 


236  THE  CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

discipline  need  to  be  carefully  considered.  For  not  all 
offences  call  for  cliiirch  action.  Love  that  suffereth  long 
and  is  kind,  that  seeketh  not  her  own  but  the  good  of  others, 
must  cover  a  multitude  of  sins.  For  some  are  too  trivial  to 
be  noticed.  Common  sense  ought  to  teach  churches  not  to 
arraign  members  for  trifles.  "  The  putting  on  of  gold  and 
costly  apparel  "  is  against  the  "  Discipline  "  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church ;  yet  that  church  long  since  wisely  ceased 
trying  to  enforce  plainness  in  dress.  The  General  Court  of 
Massachusetts  Bay,  in  1639,  took  notice  of  and  forbade  the 
wearing  of  lace,  "immoderate  great  sleeves,"  bare  arms,  etc., 
but  stayed  direct  proceedings,  in  the  expectation  that  the 
churches  would  deal  with  such  offences  by  way  of  discipline.* 
It  is  a  greater  evil  to  try  to  uproot  such  matters  by  church 
discipline  than  to  let  them  alone.  True,  the  standard  of 
Christian  living  should  be  lifted  high,  but  this  can  be  done 
in  the  teaching  of  the  pulpit  better  than  in  the  discipline  of 
every  trivial  offence.  Much  must  be  left  to  Christian  liberty 
and  consecration.  Otherwise,  while  we  gather  up  the  tares 
we  shall  root  up,  also,  the  wheat  with  them  (Matt.  13  :  29). 
Paul  also  says  :  "  Him  that  is  weak  in  the  faith  receive  ye, 
but  not  to  doubtful  disputations."  "  Let  every  man  be  fully 
assured  in  his  own  mind"  (Rom.  14:  1,  5).  Discipline 
must  not  invade  the  realm  of  indifferent  things. 

If  a  serious  offence  can  not  be  proved  by  witnesses  or 
common  fame,  the  church  can  take  no  action.  When  men 
do  wrong  they  seldom  take  witnesses  with  them  that  will 
testify  to  the  truth.  To  institute  proceedings  without 
probable  proof  is  to  bring  discipline  into  contempt  by 
failure.  The  old  Jewish  law  required  that  there  be  two 
or  three  witnesses  or  their  equivalent.  Common  fame 
is  a  very  uncertain  ground  of  action,  since  the  best  men 
have  been  persistently  lied  about ;  yet  sometimes,  with 
proper  precautions,  a  member  may  be  dealt  with  and  excom- 
municated without  other  evidence  of  guilt  than  common 
belief.     Tlie  offences  demanding  action  are  :  — 

*  Colonial  Records,  i,  274. 


OFFENCES  DISCIPLINABLE.  237 

(1)  The    denial    of    the   cardinal    doctrines.      The    New- 
Testament  and  the  history  of  the  Christian  Church  make  it 
clear  that  some  doctrines  are  of  vital  importance.     They  can 
not  be  denied  without  subverting  the  gospel  and  destroying 
the  churches.     If  one  denies  the  Lord  tliat  bouglit  liim,  what 
has  he  to  do  in  the  Church?     So  the  denial  of  any  essential 
doctrine  is  ground  for  discipline,  as  an  offence  against  the 
life  and  Head  of  the  church-kingdom.     The  warrant  for  this 
is  both  natural  and  Scriptural.     Such  denial,  if  unnoticed,  is 
subversive  of  the  existence  of  the  Church,  which  should  pro- 
tect itself  from  destruction.     But  the  apostles  enjoin  action 
in  such  cases   (Gal.  1  :  6-10  ;    Titus   3  :  10 ;   2  John   9-11). 
These  doctrines  were  at  length  formulated  in  the  so-called 
Apostles'   Creed;  but  they  have  been  recently  more  elabo- 
rately set  forth  in  the  creed  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance.^ 
In  aijplying   these    doctrinal   tests   to   individual   members, 
great   forbearance   should   be    observed;    for   many   a   true 
Christian  has  been  caught  in  some  speculation  which  has 
carried  him  away  for  a  time,  to  return  again  as  soon  as  the 
speculation  has  revealed  its  emptiness.     Greater  rigor  is  re- 
quired as    regards    ministers    (§  119)    and    teachers.      But 
heresy  is  certainly  one  offence  that  should  be  dealt  witli  by 
way  of  discipline,  but  with  charitable  discretion, 

(2)  Scandalous  offences  and   gross  crimes  are  causes  of 
discipline  (1  Cor.  5 :  2  ;  10  :  20  ;  2  Thess.  3  :  G,  14)  ;  so  also 

»  This  Doctrinal  Basis  was  ailopted  in  1846,  and  is  as  follows  :  — 

1.  The  divine  inspiration,  authority,  and  sulliciency  of  the  holy  Scriptures. 

2.  The  right  anil  duty  of  private  judgment  in  the  interpretation  of  the  holy 
Scriptures. 

3.  The  Unity  of  the  Godhead,  and  the  Trinity  of  the  persons  therein. 

4.  The  utter  depravity  of  human  nature  in  consequence  of  the  Fall. 

.5.  The  incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God,  his  work  of  atonement  for  the  sins  of  man- 
kind,  and  his  mediatorial  intercession  and  reign. 
(!.  The  justilication  of  the  sinner  l)y  faith  alone. 

7.  The  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  conversion  and  sanctiflcation  of  the  sinner. 

8.  The  immortality  of  the  soul,  the  resurrection  of  the  bodv,  the  judgment  of  the 
world  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  with  the  eternal  blessedness  of  the  righteous,  and  the 
eternal  punishment  of  the  wicked. 

9.  The  divine  institution  of  the  Christian  ministry,  and  the  obligation  and  perpetuity 
of  the  ordinances  of  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper.  -  SchaflPs  Creeds  of  Christen, 
dom.iii,  Si",  828. 


238  THE   CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

private  wrongs  (Matt.  18:  15-18),  and  violations  of  the 
church  covenant.  On  joining  a  church  each  member  enters 
into  a  covenant,  either  written  or  understood,  to  attend,  sup- 
port, fellowship  it ;  to  commune  witli  it,  and  to  seek  its  peace 
and  welfare.  Now,  if  he  neglect  any  part  of  this  covenant, 
he  has  Ijroken  his  solemn  agreement,  and  may  be  disciplined 
as  a  covenant-breaker.  Thus,  for  heresy,  immorality,  private 
injury,  and  violation  of  the  covenant,  a  member  may  be 
brought  to  discipline. 

§  164.  But  it  may  not  always  be  the  duty  of  a  church  to 
discipline  a  member  even  when  the  offence  may  warrant  it. 
A  case  of  discipline,  as  we  have  said  (§  160  :  4),  stirs  up  a 
church  and  may  hinder  much  good.  The  members  may 
sometimes  be  reclaimed  by  patient  waiting.  Hence  a  church 
needs  not  only  to  look  at  offences  as  tares,  but  also  to  con- 
sider all  the  near  and  remote  issues,  lest  the  wheat  be  rooted 
up  also. 

(1)  The  grant  of  authority  to  discipline  does  not  remove 
the  duty  of  discretion  in  the  exercise  of  disciijline.  The 
keys  were  not  gi^■en  for  ornament,  it  is  true  ;  nor  do  they 
deny  a  wise  discretion.  Tlie  Church  is  to  be  kept  pure  by 
their  use,  and  the  process  began  with  fearful  rigor  (Acts  5: 
1-11)  and  was  often  enjoined  (Gal.  1 :  6-10 ;  2  John  9-11 ; 
Titus  3  :  10,  etc.)  ;  and  neglect  of  discipline  has  ever  tended 
to  corruption.  As  early  as  a.d.  251,  Novatian  divided  the 
churches  on  this  issue.  He  would  have  ruled  oat  all  discre- 
tion from  the  duty  of  discipline,  holding  that  any  church 
neglecting  to  keep  itself  pure  ceased,  in  the  act  of  neglect, 
to  be  a  true  church.^  This  ultra  position  is  not  imposed  by 
the  grant  of  the  authority  to  enforce  purity. 

(2)  Nor  does  the  function  of  the  churches  as  the  salt  of 
the  earth  and  the  light  of  the  world  prevent  the  exercise  of 
proj^er  discretion.  If  the  .salt  lose  its  savor,  and  the  light 
become  darkness,  the  churches  cease  to  fulfill  their  divine 
function.     They  then   become  blind   leaders  of    the   blind. 

6  Neamier's  Church  Hist,  i,  246. 


DIISCBETIOX  IX  DISCIPLINE.  239 

They  can  not,  therefore,  be  or  do  what  they  ought  without 
hiying  great  stress  on  discipline.  But  even  this  does  not 
relieve  them  from  wise  discretion  in  its  exercise. 

(3)  This  discretion  makes  the  duty  of  discipline  some- 
what variable.  Churches  exist  in  varying  conditions  of 
environment,  and  the  duty  of  discipline  varies  somewhat 
with  those  conditions.  There  are  certain  offences  which  can 
under  no  circumstances  l)e  overlooked,  but  must  be  pro- 
ceeded against  at  once.  There  are  other  offences  which  are 
more  culpable  in  one  age  and  land  than  in  another;  so  that 
the  standard  of  practice  and  the  duty  of  discipline  should 
vary  a  little.  God  has  acted  on  this  principle  in  the  three 
dispensations,  and  Christ  expressly  taught  it  in  the  doom  of 
certain  cities  (Matt.  11  :  20-24),  in  the  parable  of  the  tares 
and  wheat  (Matt,  lo :  24-30),  in  the  matter  of  divorce 
(Matt.  19:  8),  and  in  the  revelation  of  truth  (John  16:  12). 
Any  other  rule  than  this  which  respects  the  light  one  has 
and  the  environment  in  which  one  lives  would  be  manifestly 
unjust.  The  discipline  should  be  wisely  matched  to  the  light 
and  environment. 

Take  the  matter  of  temperance  as  an  example.  The 
colonial  records  contain  repeated  enactments  against  in- 
temperance;  and  yet  every  l)ody  used  li(|Uors  —  ministei-s, 
deacons,  members,  rulers,  all.  We  can  not  carry  the  light 
and  circumstances  of  our  day  back  to  the  times  of  our  Pil- 
grim and  Puritan  Fathers  and  judge  a  rum-selling  deacon  of 
the  seventeenth  century  as  we  should  judge  him  now  in  this 
century.  This  enactment,  or  order,  of  the  Legislature  of  the 
Bay  Colony,  in  1647  :  "  The  court  think  it  convenient  that 
order  be  given  to  the  auditor  to  send  twelve  gallons  of  sack 
and  six  gallons  of  white  wine,  as  a  small  testimony  of  the 
court's  respect,  to  the  reverend  assembly  of  elders  at  Cam- 
bridge," "  —  the  same  that  framed  the  Cambridge  Platform, 
—  would  be  deemed  an  insult,  if  passed  to-day  by  any 
Legislature  in  reference  to  the  National  Council  or  a  state 

7  Colonial  Records,  ii,  i;>4, 195. 


240  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

association.  And  even  now  churches  should  remember  that 
not  all  men  nor  all  churches  look  upon  the  sale  and  use  of 
liquors  as  our  churches  do.  Some  are  nearly  where  our  fathers 
were,  of  whom  we  may  use  the  words :  "  Of  some  have 
compassion,  making  a  difference  "  (Jude  22).  For  love  will 
win  them  to  the  principle  of  total  abstinence,  when  harshness 
and  discipline  will  only  harden. 

Hence  the  duty  of  discipline  is  under  discretion,  in  some 
degree,  and  the  highest  wisdom  and  gentleness  are  needed  in 
a  church  in  dealing  with  offences,  lest  the  best  intended  dis- 
cipline fail  of  reaching  its  true  ends  through  rigor  or  through 
laxness. 

§  165.  This  liberty  of  discretion  keeps  ever  before  a 
church  the  ends  of  church  discipline.  Were  the  duty  with- 
out discretion,  there  would  be  no  need  of  asking.  What  end 
should  ever  be  had  in  view  in  dealing  with  offenders  ?  But 
now  all  cases  are  to  be  conducted  with  reference  to  a  double 
end. 

(1)  Discipline  should  aim  first  at  reclaiming  the  offender. 
This  is  true  of  all  proper  discipline,  private  or  public,  pa- 
rental or  civil,  ecclesiastical  or  providential.  In  this  it  differs 
radically  from  punishment.  Discipline  in  the  church  is 
therefore  a  potent  means  of  grace  when  properly  conducted. 
It  aims  at  recovering  the  wayward,  never  at  expelling  him. 
It  should  not,  therefore,  be  entered  upon  in  haste,  in  malice, 
in  revenge,  but  after  patient  waiting,  much  prayer,  and  with 
the  most  earnest  and  tender  desire  and  purpose  to  bring  the 
wayward  member  in  penitence  back  to  an  orderly  life  and 
sound  belief. 

(2)  But  the  ultimate  end  of  discipline  is  the  j^urity  of  the 
church.  This  end  is  best  secured  by  the  reclamation  of  the 
offender ;  but,  that  failing,  it  requires  his  expulsion.  In 
either  result  the  Church  protects  its  purity  and  vindicates  its 
character  as  a  holy  body.  The  moment  that  a  church, 
through  fear  or  ambition  or  policy  or  indifference,  covers 
sin,  it  is  shorn  of  strength  and  vacates  its  mission  in  part. 


ENDS   OF  DISCIPLINE.  241 

It  must  thereafter  tread  like  Samson  in  the  mill  of  the  Phil- 
istines. Its  discretion  in  the  duty  of  discipline  (§  164  :  8) 
has  respect  to  the  best  way  of  securing  the  ends  of  disci- 
pline, not  how  to  avoid  it.  As  purity  is  essential  to  the 
power  of  the  ministry,  so  purity  is  essential  to  the  power  and 
permanent  i)rosperity  of  any  church. 

§  166.  So  important  did  Christ  regard  the  ends  of  disci- 
pline that  he  detailed  the  steps  by  which  those  ends  can  best 
be  attained.  He  gave  a  rule  of  discipline  with  steps  of 
progress  (Matt.  18:  15-18). 

(1)  The  first  step  in  the  process  of  discipline  for  private 
offences  is  this :  "If  thy  brother  sin  against  thee,  go,  shew 
him  his  fault  between  thee  and  him  alone :  if  he  hear 
thee,  thou  hast  gained  thy  brother"  (v.  15).  The  margin 
says:  "Some  ancient  authorities  omit  against  thee;''  this 
would  make  the  rule  universal,  if  these  two  words  should  be 
omitted.  Tliis  first  step  is  so  plain  that  it  would  seem  to 
need  no  explanation  ;  but  the  history  of  discipline  enforces 
the  necessity  of  dwelling  upon  it  witli  the  greatest  particu- 
larity of  detail,  (a)  The  injured  party  must  begin  the 
process.  He  takes  the  initiative  because  he  has  suffered 
wrong.  If  the  wrong-doer  shall  first  come  and  confess  his 
fault,  the  process  can  not  begin.  The  case  is  closed.  (6)  The 
wronged  goes  to  the  offender.  There  is  special  significance 
in  that  little  word  "  go  ;  "  a  casual  meeting  will  not  do.  An 
interview  must  be  sought  and  obtained,  if  possible.  The 
injured  does  not  meet  the  requirement  if  he  write  a  letter  or 
send  another  person  to  the  one  who  wronged  him.  (e)  The 
interview  must  be  secret  or  private,  "  between  thee  and  him 
alone."  No  third  person  should  be  present.  This  rests  on 
human  nature.  A  man  will  relent  and  confess  and  make 
amends  in  such  an  interview,  who  would  not  if  a  third  per- 
son were  present,  (d)  The  injured  must  show  the  wrong- 
doer his  fault,  without  enlarging  it  or  diminishing  it,  by 
giving  a  fair  and  full  presentation  of  it.  It  is  not  merely  to 
be    told  him  :    it  must   be  shown  him,  that  he  may  see  it. 


242  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

(e)  And  all  in  a  tender  spirit  of  love.  To  go  in  any  other 
spirit  might  mcrease  the  injur3\  To  go  to  liim  in  order  to 
reach  the  next  step  is  itself  a  wrong.  There  must  be  a  love 
that  forgives,  if  need  be,  seventy  times  seven  (Matt.  18 : 
21-35),  and  it  will  probably  win  the  man.  (/)  "  If  he  hear 
thee,  thou  hast  gained  thy  brother."  The  end  has  been 
gained.  To  gain,  and  not  to  cut  olf,  is  the  aim.  (^)  His 
penitent  confession  and  reasonable  reparation  ends  the  case. 
Purity  is  secured  in  penitence.  The  grace  of  God  has  tri- 
umphed.    No  more  should  ever  be  said  or  done  about  it. 

(2)  But  a  second  step  is  sometimes  necessary.  Hence  it  is 
given  in  these  words :  "  But  if  he  hear  thee  not,  take  with 
thee  one  or  two  more,  that  at  the  mouth  of  two  witnesses  or 
tln-ee  every  word  may  be  established  "  (v.  16).  (a)  Here 
the  spirit  and  end  are  the  same  as  in  the  preceding  step. 
Forgiving  love  trying  to  reclaim  inspires  the  interview.  (6) 
The  one  or  two  taken  along  are  witnesses  of  the  loving  fidel- 
ity of  the  party  wronged  and  the  conduct  of  the  wrong-doer. 
They  should  be  discreet,  full  of  wisdom  and  love,  having  the 
confidence  of  all,  especially  the  wrong-doer.  (c)  In  the 
presence  of  these  witnesses  tlie  fault  must  be  shown  again, 
for  the  purpose  of  bringing  the  offender  to  see  and  confess 
it.  (t?)  His  confession  before  these  witnesses  ends  the  case, 
and  all  are  to  keep  silent  about  it. 

(3)  If  this  interview  fail,  then  comes  the  third  step: 
"  And  if  he  refuse  to  hear  them,  tell  it  unto  the  church,"  or 
'■'- congregation'"'  (v.  17).  (a)  This  shows  what  part  the  wit- 
nesses take  in  the  preceding  interview.  They  must  use  all 
Christian  endeavor  to  reclaim  the  offender ;  for  it  is  only 
when  he  refuses  to  "  hear  them  "  that  (5)  the  offence  must 
be  told  unto  the  church,  or  congregation.  This  must  l)e 
done  in  an  oral  or  written  complaint,  (c)  This  church,  or 
congregation,  is  the  local  church  to  which  the  offender  be- 
longs (§  99  :  1).  The  whole  membership  must  now  hear  the 
case. 

(4)  The  fourth  and  final  step  is  this :  "  But  if  he  refuse  to 


STEPS  m  DISCIPLIXE.  243 

hear  the  church  also,  let  him  be  unto  thee  as  the  Gentile  and 
the  publican  "  (v.  17).  (a)  The  offender  reveals  his  incor- 
rigible heart  in  refusing  to  hear  fii-st,  the  wronged ;  second, 
the  -witnesses ;  and  third,  the  whole  Church ;  all  laboring  to 
save  him,  not  to  cast  him  out  of  their  fellowship,  (ft)  Hence 
they  have  no  alternative  but  to  cast  him  out  of  the  Church, 
to  excommunicate  him.  He  is  thence  to  be  as  a  Gentile  and 
a  publican  ;  that  is,  cut  off  from  all  privileges  of  meml)ership 
in  tlie  Church  of  God,  and  denied  participation  in  the  Lord's 
Supper  (§§  155:  2,  3;  156).  (c)  Further  than  this  the 
Church  may  not  go  ;  nor  should  the  State  interpose  to  punish 
liim.^ 

(5)  These  steps  are  complete,  and  make  a  final  end  of  the 
case  so  far  as  authority  to  discipline  goes,  (a)  The  offender  is 
dealt  with  step  by  step  until  reclaimed  or  cut  off,  with  no 
appeal  from  the  beginning  to  the  end.  And  the  issue  is  final 
and  complete  exclusion  from  church  privileges.  The  four 
steps  leave  the  process  finished.  (5)  This  issue  is  ratified  by 
Christ,  the  Head  and  King:  "-Verily  I  say  unto  you.  What 
things  soever  ye  shall  bind  on  earth  shall  be  l)ouiid  in  heaven : 
and  what  things  soever  ye  shall  loose  on  earth  shall  l)e  loosed 
in  heaven  "  (v.  18).  This  estops  all  right  of  appeal  (§  99 : 
2,  3).  (c)  Yet  if  wrong  is  claimed  to  have  been  done  in 
thus  issuing  the  case,  the  church  and  the  aggrieved  may  ask 
the  advice  of  churches  in  a  council  (§  194 :  10),  what  re- 
di'ess,  if  any,  is  required,  and  may  act  on  that  advice.  This 
advice  is  not  of  the  nature  of  a  command,  for  it  has  none  of 
the  authority  of  discipline,  which  was  permanenth'  committed 
to  local  churches  alone  (§§  99:  1,  3;  106,  107,  108).  (d)  If 
the  offending  member  be  also  a  minister,  another  principle 
comes  in  (§  162 :  2)  to  modif}'  his  discipline  by  a  church. 
He  has  been  recognized  in  ordination  as  a  minister  called  b}- 

*  The  General  Court  of  Massachusetts,  in  1B38,  "onierecl,  tliat  whoever  shall  stand 
excommimicale  for  the  space  of  six  months,  without  lal)onnj,'  what  in  him  or  her  lieth 
to  be  restored,  such  a  person  shall  be  presented  .  .  .  and  proceeded  with  by  fine,  im- 
prisonment, banishment,  or  further,  for  the  g-ooti  behavior,  as  their  contempt  and  obsti- 
nacy, upon  full  hearing  shall  deserv-e."  But  the  law  was  repealed  the  next  year. 
Records,  i,  24^,  271. 


244  THE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

the  great  Head  of  the  Church  unto  the  preaching  of  the 
Word.  His  excommunication  by  a  local  church  impairs,  if 
it  does  not  destroy,  his  character  and  influence  as  an  ambassa- 
dor of  Christ,  wliich,  as  his  call  to  the  ministry  was  not 
recognized  by  one  church  alone,  ought  not  to  be  jeopardized 
by  the  action  of  one  church  alone  (§§  121,  122,  124). 
But  both  these  apparent  exceptions  are  treated  elsewhere 
(§§  200,  201,  202). 

Such  is  the  plain  interpretation  of  Clii'ist's  rule  for  church 
discipline ;  but  many  queries  arise,  which  we  will  consider 
under  the  head  of 

SOME   QUESTIONS   RESPECTING   CHURCH   DISCIPLINE. 

§  167.  Should  all  cases  of  discipline  be  treated  alike? 
There  is  a  great  difference  between  a  private  offence  and 
a  j)ublic  scandal,  and  must  they  always  be  treated  the  same  ? 
We  reply:  (1)  The  ends  of  all  church  discipline  are  the 
same.  The  guilty  are  to  be  reformed,  if  possible,  and  the 
church  kept  pure  either  by  reformation  or  by  exclusion.  In 
no  case  should  this  dual  end  be  overlooked.  (2)  Yet  public 
scandals  should  be  treated  more  summarily  than  private 
offences.  The  private  steps  (§  166 :  1-4)  may  not  always 
be  required ;  hence  Paul  indicates  public  action  at  once 
(1  Cor.  5 :  4,  5,  13),  which  our  Platforms  recognize.^  The 
reason  is  that  such  offences  are  known  to  the  community, 
and  the  church  may  hasten  to  clear  itself  of  complicity  with 
the  crime.  (3)  Such  scandalous  offences  are  those  which 
are  "  infamous  among  men,"  "  condemned  by  the  light  of 
nature,"  which  are  "  of  a  more  heinous  and  criminal  nature." 

§  168.  When  should  the  first  private  step  in  discipline  be 
taken?  It  should  not  be  taken  in  a  hurry.  Passion  should 
have  time  to  cool,  and  conscience  time  to  assert  its  claims  to 
control.  This  may  require  a  full  year  or  more.  The  most 
favorable  time  for  gaining  the  wrong-doer  must  be  chosen. 
Not  until  after  a  full  year  was  Nathan  the  prophet  sent  to 

9  Camb.  Plat,  xiv,  3;  Boston  Plat,  part  li,  viii,  4. 


DISCIPLIXE  AXD   DISMISSALS.  245 

David  the  king.  In  case  of  doctrinal  errors,  a  longer  time 
may  be  needed.  When  the  heart  begins  to  relent  or  hungers 
for  the  truth,  then  a  word,  gently  spoken,  may  win  and  save. 
God  is  patient,  and  the  child  of  his  love  should  also  wait  in 
patient  hope  and  constant  prayer  to  win  a  Ijrother.  Yet  he 
must  not  wait  too  long. 

§  169.  Should  a  second  private  interview  with  the 
offender  be  sought?  No  intimation  is  given  of  such  renewed 
attempt  in  case  of  failure;  but  as  the  prime  object  is  to  gain 
a  brother,  a  second  and  a  third  interview  may  be  had  in  the 
spirit  of  the  rule.  It  is  better  to  save  by  loving  labors  not 
expressl}' re(|uired,  than  l)y  strict  interpretation  to  lose.  It  is 
better  to  be  good  than  to  be  simply  just  (Rom.  5 :   7). 

§  170.  Does  the  asking  for  a  letter  of  dismission  forestall 
discipline  ?  The  guilty  part}-  sometimes  seeks  to  anticipate 
action  of  discipline  by  asking  for  a  letter  of  dismissal  before 
his  offence  is  made  public,  or  while  the  church  or  the  wronged 
party  is  waiting  to  take  the  proper  reclaiming  steps.  How 
does  such  a  request  affect  the  case?  (1)  The  request  for  a 
letter  is  not  a  letter  of  dismissal.  It  is  only  a  request,  which 
the  church  may  grant  or  not  as  each  case  may  come  before  it. 
If  any  cause  be  known  to  exist  why  the  letter  should  not 
issue,  the  party  knowing  it  is  l)ound  to  reveal  the  fact  to  the 
pastor  or  deacons  or  church,  and  thus  to  prevent  the  issuing 
of  the  letter  until  the  matter  is  satisfactorily  settled.  A 
simple  request  of  a  member  for  delay  for  the  taking  of  pri- 
vate steps  stops  the  church  from  issuing  the  letter.  (2)  For 
a  case  of  discipline  takes  precedence  of  a  reciuest  for  dismissal. 
It  were  a  great  wrong  for  a  church  to  override  a  notilication 
of  complaint  against  a  member  by  issuing  a  letter  of  dis- 
missal. If  notice  of  an  offence  be  given  it,  the  request 
for  dismissal  must  lie  on  the  table  until  the  discipline 
be  had.  (3)  And  the  said  notice  of  complaint  need 
not  contain,  and  ordinarily  should  not  contain,  the  nature  of 
the  offence  committed ;  otherwise,  there  might  lie  a  prema- 
ture exposure  of  the  fault. 


246  THE  CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

§  171.  Does  the  granting  of  a  letter  of  dismissal  preclude 
discipline  ?  If  the  sin  be  hidden  altogether  until  the  letter  is 
issued,  the  church  can  call  the  offender  to  account  in  one  of 
two  ways,  namely:  (1)  If  he  has  received  his  letter,  but  has 
not  been  admitted  on  it  to  some  other  church,  he  remains 
still  a  member  of  the  church  granting  the  letter,  and  is  sub- 
ject to  its  discipline.  Hence  the  church,  if  the  case  shall 
warrant  it,  can  recall  the  letter  and  begin  process  of  disci- 
pline as  though  no  letter  had  ever  been  issued.  (2)  But  if 
he  has  been  already  admitted  to  another  church  before  the 
detection  of  his  guilt,  the  church  so  receiving  him  should 
bring  him  to  discipline  the  same  as  if  the  crime  had  been 
committed  while  he  was  a  member  of  it.  If,  however,  by 
reason  of  distance,  his  trial  be  inconvenient  or  impossible  in 
said  church,  that  church  can  ask  the  church  where  the  deed 
was  done  to  act  as  a  commission,  or  to  appoint  from  its  mem- 
bership a  commission,  to  hear  the  case,  record  the  evidence, 
formulate  its  judgment,  and  report.  On  which  report  the 
man  may  be  acquitted  or  censured  by  the  church  to  which  he 
then  belongs.  (3)  To  prevent,  as  far  as  possible,  such  cases, 
letters  of  dismissal  ought  not  to  issue  immediately.  A  re- 
quest for  dismissal,  like  an  application  for  membership,  should 
lie  over  for  a  week  or  two  ;  and  for  the  same  reason  precisely, 
namely,  that  any  one  may  have  opportunity  to  stop  action  if 
he  deem  the  party  to  be  unworthy  either  of  admission  or  of 
dismissal. 

§  172.  How  should  the'  case  of  discipline  be  brought 
before  the  church  ?  The  rule  is  :  "  Tell  it  unto  the  church," 
or,  as  the  margin  has  it,  "  the  congregation."  This  would 
imply  only  an  oral  statement  of  the  case ;  and  no  church  can 
demand  more  than  this  before  action.  (1)  If  an  oral  com- 
plaint be  brought,  the  church,  by  its  clerk,  should  reduce  it 
to  writing,  read  it  to  the  complainant  for  his  endorsement, 
and  preserve  it  on  the  records  and  on  file.  (2)  As  this  takes 
time,  it  is  better  to  prepare  written  charges  beforehand,  as 
definite  as  they  can  be  made,  and  thus  tell  it  unto  the  church. 


COMPLAINT  IN  DISCIPLINE.  247 

(3)  Such  complaint  should  cover  the  wrong  that  is  com- 
plained of,  the  time  when  committed,  the  names  of  witnesses, 
the  steps  taken  to  secure  redress,  and  the  request  that  the 
church  deal  with  the  offending  member  as  he  may  deserve. 
§  173.  How  should  the  church  conduct  the  case?  It 
must  hear  the  complaint  as  made,  whether  it  vote  to  enter- 
tain it  or  not.  The  complaint  may  be  so  trivial  that  it  would 
be  wrong  to  dignify  it  with  a  church  trial.  For,  as  we  have 
shown  (§§  1(33,  164),  a  church  must  carefully  discriminate 
between  what  impeaches  a  man's  Christian  character  and 
belief,  and  what  belongs  to  Christian  liberty  or  to  immaterial 
infirmities.  Hence,  in  the  exercise  of  a  wise  discretion,  the 
church  must  vote  either  to  entertain  or  to  dismiss  the  com- 
jilaint.  But  in  either  case  the  complaint  should  go  upon 
the  record,  with  the  action  taken.  If  the  church  vote  to 
dismiss  the  complaint,  the  case  is  ended.  If  it  vote  to  enter- 
tain the  complaint,  then  it  should  attend  to  these  several 
things:  (1)  It  should  fix  the  time  and  place  of  the  trial, 
allowing  ample  time  for  preparation.  (2)  It  should  order 
its  clerk  to  give  due  notice  of  the  time  and  place  of  trial  to 
all  the  parties  and  witnesses,  to  send  a  copy  of  the  charges, 
with  the  names  of  the  witnesses,  to  the  accused ;  and  the 
church  should  appoint  one  or  more  to  conduct  the  case  on 
its  behalf,  and  allow  the  accused  to  select  one  or  more  of  the 
members  to  assist  him  at  the  trial.  The  church  should  also 
summon  the  accused  and  request  the  witnesses  to  appear  at 
the  trial.  (3)  The  church  tries  the  case  at  the  time  and 
place  designated.  If  the  accused  refuse  to  appear,  either  in 
person  or  by  representative,  the  church  may,  at  its  discretion, 
adjourn  to  some  fixed  day,  and  notify  him  of  the  adjourn- 
ment; or  it  may  proceed  without  him  to  the  trial.  The 
reason  of  this  is  that  a  church,  unlike  the  State,  can  not  com- 
pel the  attendance  of  the  accused  or  of  witnesses,  or  the  pro- 
duction of  documentary  evidence ;  so  that  if  the  absence  of 
the  accused  could  stop  proceedings,  he  might  prevent  a  trial 
altogether,  and  thus  subvert  church  discipline.     (4)  In  the 


248  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

trial,  the  pastor,  unless  a  party  in  the  case,  directly  or  ihdi- 
rectly,  is  the  presiding  officer.  If  he  be  absent  or  disquali- 
fied, a  deacon,  or  any  one  best  versed  in  the  principles  and 
usages  of  our  polity  and  in  parliamentary  law,  unless  he  be 
disqualified  by  interest  or  partisanship,  should  be  chosen  to 
preside.  (5)  The  church  clerk  should  keep  a  full  record  of 
the  doings  of  the  trial  for  the  journal  of  the  church.  He 
should  also  record  and  preserve  on  file  the  testimony  of  wit- 
nesses and  other  proof  submitted,  reading  said  testimony  for 
correction  to  the  witnesses,  which  must  remain  unaltered 
thereafter,  unless  corrected  by  the  witness  himself  before  the 
church.  (6)  Witnesses  may  be  put  under  oath.^'^  The  oath 
gives  sacredness  and  a  needed  sanction  to  testimony.  Wit- 
nesses will  sometimes  testify  under  oath  Avhat  they  will  not 
otherwise.  (7)  When  the  evidence  is  all  in  and  summed  up, 
if  pleadings  shall  be  deemed  best,  the  church  votes  on  the 
specifications  of  a  charge  first,  and  then  on  the  charge  itself, 
and  so  of  every  charge  in  the  complaint ;  the  question  being 
put  by  the  moderator:  Is  this  specification  (or  charge,  as  the 
case  may  be)  sustained?  On  the  result  of  the  voting  the 
church  founds  its  verdict  of  guilty  or  not  guilty.  If  none  of 
the  specifications  or  charges  are  sustained,  the  case  is  ended 
by  the  acquittal  of  the  member.  If  any  or  all  the  charges 
are  sustained,  the  church  proceeds,  in  due  time  and  form,  to 
its  censure,  which  should  be  delayed  a  little.  (8)  The  con- 
fession of  the  guilty  party,  if  deemed  genuine  and  ample, 
arrests  proceedings  at  any  stage  of  the  trial ;  for  the  ends 
sought  are  thus  secured.  The  church  has  no  right  or  power 
to  punish  for  guilt  confessed.  Its  function  is  discipline,  not 
punishment.  (9)  There  must  be  throughout  the  proceed- 
ings  not   only    impartiality,  but   the    utmost   care   lest   the 

10  The  oath  or  aflirmation  should  be  administered  to  a  witness  by  the  moderator,  in 
the  following,  or  like,  terms  :  — 

"  You  solemnly  promise,  in  the  presence  of  the  omniscient  and  heart-searching  God 
that  you  will  declare  the  truth,  the  whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,  according  to 
the  best  of  your  knowledge,  in  the  matter  in  which  you  are  called  as  witness,  as  you 
shall  answer  it  to  the  great  Judge  of  quick  and  dead."  This  is  the  Presbyterian  form. 
Discipline,  chap,  vi,  9;  Moore's  Presby.  Digest,  1873,  530. 


CHUBCH  JUBY  TRIAL.  249 

charge  of  partiality  or  unfairness  be  made  with  some  degree 
of  credibility.  The  church  must  heed  in  its  discipline  the 
words  of  Paul :  "  Take  thought  for  things  honourable  in  the 
sight  of  all  men  "  (Rom.  12 :  17). 

§  174.  May  not  the  church  hear  the  case  through  the 
church  board  (§  135),  or  by  a  special  committee  or  jury  ? 
As  this  mode  of  discipline  is  Congregational  in  principle,  has 
been  adopted  in  England,  and  is  sure  to  be  adopted  by  our 
churches  in  difficult  cases,  if  not  in  all  cases,  we  will  explain 
it  somewhat  fully.  (1)  A  church  board,  special  committee, 
or  chosen  jur}-,  if  appointed  and  authorized  to  act  in  any 
matter  by  vote  of  the  church,  has  all  the  authority  therein 
of  the  appointing  power.  The  Church,  like  the  State,  may, 
for  good  reasons,  commit  the  hearing  of  a  complaint,  the 
taking  of  evidence,  the  formulation  of  censures,  and  what- 
ever else  is  necessary  in  the  trial  of  a  member,  to  its  church 
board,  or  to  a  select  committee  or  jur}-,  which  shall  submit 
its  action  to  the  church  for  final  ratification.  It  can  do  this 
in  matters  of  discipline  as  it  does  it  in  other  matters.  And 
any  church  can  do  it,  if  it  so  elects.  (2)  Certain  cases  de- 
mand such  a  trial :  (a)  Sexual  scandals  are  bad  enough  with- 
out gathering  a  whole  church,  and  the  public  too,  to  listen 
to  their  sickening  and  demoralizing  details.  The  trial  of 
such  cases,  for  decency's  sake,  should  be  had  in  a  small  room 
before  a  jury  of  a  few  men,  good  and  true.  (6)  Long  trials 
require  that  a  few,  and  not  a  whole  church,  be  gathered, 
night  after  night,  in  patient  hearing  and  recording  of  testi- 
mony. A  jury  of  six  men  is  far  better  here  than  a  whole 
church,  (c)  Some  cases  are  so  difficult,  because  of  the  points 
of  business  or  of  polity  involved  in  them,  that  few  in  the 
church  are  qualified  to  pass  upon  them.  Those  few  ought, 
therefore,  to  be  chosen  as  a  jury  to  act  for  the  church,  and 
report.  (c?)  Justice  demands  that  only  those  who  are 
present  to  hear  the  evidence  should  vote  upon  the  charges. 
Yet  if  a  trial  should  last  a  few  evenings,  many  who  have  not 
heard  a  word  of  the  evidence  may  come  in  at  the  close  of 


250  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

the  trial  and  determine  the  result,  (e)  There  may  be  also 
great  prejudice  against  the  accused,  or  he  may  be  related  to 
a  large  part  of  the  church,  or  connected  with  a  majority  of  the 
church  in  a  business  way ;  so  that  the  church  may  be  an  unfit 
body  so  far  forth  to  hear  the  case,  when  a  jury  chosen  from 
among  its  members  could  act  calmly  and  impartially.  These 
cases,  separately  and  collectively,  present  a  strong  reason 
why  our  churches  should  modify  their  discipline  by  the  in- 
troduction of  what  may  be  called  the  jurj^  system.  (3)  This 
jury  should  be  chosen  by  the  church  itself.  The  accused  can 
not  nominate  any  part  of  it,  nor  can  he  challenge  any  mem- 
ber of  it.  He  can  not  refuse  to  be  tried  by  the  church  to 
which  he  belongs ;  and  hence  he  can  not  refuse  to  be  tried 
by  any  jury  chosen  by  that  church,  since  that  jury  is  the 
arm  of  the  church  disciplining  a  member.  The  church  acts 
in  and  through  the  jury.  Such  a  jury  is  not  a  board  of  arbi- 
tration, nor  a  committee  of  reference,  where  each  party  has 
equal  voice.  The  accused  is  not  a  party  as  against  the 
church,  but  a  member  of  the  church  on  trial  whether  or  not 
he  shall  be  debarred  church  privileges.  The  church  should 
consequently  elect  the  whole  jury  that  acts  for  the  church 
in  said  trial.  If  the  church  should  allow  the  accused  the 
opportunity  of  challenge,  it  is  of  grace,  not  of  right,  and  can 
be  limited  or  denied  again  at  pleasure.  It  were  abhorrent 
that  the  accused  should  either  dictate  who  should  try  him  or 
else  stop  all  proceedings.  (4)  The  jury  should  report  to  the 
church  its  findinsfs  and  recommendations  for  ratification  or 
rejection.  The  church,  by  approval,  makes  the  doings  of  the 
committee  its  own.  The  case  can  not  again  be  opened, 
though  all  the  records  made  and  evidence  taken  by  the  jury 
may,  on  demand,  be  read  before  the  vote  is  taken  upon  the 
report  of  the  jury.  There  is  no  possible  danger  to  the 
liberty  of  the  churches  in  this  jury  trial,  which  avoids  the 
evils  above  indicated.     It  ought  to  be  universally  adopted. 

§  175.     What  rules  control  the  admission  of  evidence  in 
church  trials  ?     A  correct  answer  is  of  the  greatest  practical 


EVIDENCE  IX  ECCLESIASTICAL   TRIALS.  251 

value.  (1)  It  is  manifest  that  legal  rules  can  not  be  allowed, 
though  some  writers  have  asserted  their  application.^^  One 
fact  is  conclusive  against  tlieir  use,  that  they  are  framed  to 
regulate  evidence  in  courts  which  can  compel  the  attendance 
of  witnesses  and  the  production  of  evidence,  neither  of  which 
falls  within  the  power  of  a  church.  This  one  fact  so  sepa- 
rates civil  and  criminal  trials  from  ecclesiastical  that  the 
rules  for  the  admission  of  evidence  must  vary  to  suit  the 
different  conditions.  (2)  In  fact,  the  rules  governing  evi- 
dence in  ecclesiastical  trials  have  been  very  comprehensive. 
"  The  best  kind  of  testimony  need  not  be  produced,  or  its 
absence  accounted  for,  before  secondary  evidence  can  be 
offered.  Parties  in  interest  are  not  excluded,  on  account  of 
bias,  from  giving  tlieir  testimony ;  husbands  and  wives  are 
not  prevented  from  testifying  for  or  against  each  other ;  hear- 
say evidence  is  not  excluded.  But  every  thing  is  admissible 
that  the  council  choose  to  admit,  that  will  help  them  come  to 
an  understanding  of  the  case.  The  Supreme  Court  has  never 
qualified  this  license  of  proof,  or  been  called  to  qualify  it."  ^^ 
(3)  The  civil  courts  are  approaching  somewhat  this  eccle- 
siastical liberty,  by  admitting  testimony  that  once  was  ex- 
cluded. It  is  not  because  hearsay  evidence  is  unworthy  of 
belief  that  legal  rules  so  generally  exclude  it.  Sir  James  F. 
Stephen,  the  author  of  A  Digest  on  the  Law  of  Evidence, 
says :  "  But  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  law  admits  as 
evidence  all  facts  which  are,  in  a  strictly  logical  sense,  rele- 
vant. The  most  considerable  and  important  exce^jtion  is  that 
of  hearsay  evidence.  In  ordinary  life  we  should  regard  a 
statement  made  to  us  at  second-hand  not  only  as  relevant  to 
the  fact  it  asserts,  but  as  sufficient  and  satisfactory  proof,  if 
both  of  our  informants  are  persons  of  creditable  character 
and  intelligence.  In  point  of  fact,  the  immense  bulk  of  our 
knowledge  and  belief  on  all  sorts  of  subjects  is  founded  on 

"  Dexter's  Congregationalism,  Reviiseil  Efl.390;  Harvey's  The  Church  (Baptist),  60, 
61 ;  Canon  9,  iv  [4],  of  Prot.  Epis.  C'li.  Digest,  SJ. 
"  Buck's  Mass.  Eccl.  Law,  chap,  xvii,  §  10,  p.  227. 


262  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

hearsay  evidence  many  times  more  remote  than  in  the  case 
Ave  have  supposed.  The  general  rule  of  law  excludes  all 
such  evidence.  .  .  .  The  reason  is  sufficiently  obvious.  A 
deponent  in  court  tells  his  stor}-  under  securities  for  its  truth- 
fulness. He  may  be  cross-examined.  He  may  be  punished 
for  telling  lies.  But  for  these  securities  it  would  hardly  be 
safe,  considering  the  consequences  attaching  to  every  issue 
in  a  court  of  justice,  to  act  upon  any  testimony  whatever."  ^^ 
These  issues  in  fines,  imprisonment,  and  death  justify  the 
exclusion  of  hearsay  evidence  from  state  courts,  where  the 
law  brings  both  witnesses  and  documents  into  the  court  and 
compels  testimony ;  but  neither  such  issues  nor  the  impo- 
tence of  a  church  to  compel  testimony  can  be  claimed  as  a 
reason  for  excluding  hearsay  evidence  from  church  trials. 
They,  on  the  contrary,  justify  its  admission.  (4)  This  liberty 
of  proof  covers  all  ecclesiastical  trials,  whether  before  a 
church,  or  before  a  council  or  association  of  churches.  For 
the  reason  of  it  exists  in  all  such  cases.  We  have  seen  no 
instance  where  the  civil  courts  have  set  aside  ecclesiastical 
action  because  legal  rules  of  proof  were  not  observed.  The 
principles  which  have  governed  the  courts  in  Massachusetts, 
above  referred  to,  have  governed  all  courts,  so  far  as  we  can 
learn. 

§  176.  May  legal  counsel  be  admitted  to  plead  in  church 
trials  ?  Paul's  question  :  "  Dare  any  of  you,  having  a  matter 
against  his  neighbour,  go  to  law  before  the  unrighteous,  and 
not  before  the  saints  ?  "  (1  Cor.  6  :  1)  has  not  lost  its  force 
altogether  by  the  nominal  Christianization  of  a  nation.  He 
felt  that  in  pagan  countries  the  least  in  the  church,  "  who 
are  of  no  account,"  were  better  than  pagan  magistrates 
(v.  4).  We  may  answer  the  question,  then,  in  this  way : 
(1)  Men  should  not  be  permitted  to  plead  in  church  trials 
as  professional  counsel.  Lawyers  are  court  officers,  with 
certain  special  privileges  which  it  would  not  be  wise  to 
grant  them  before  churches.      They  should  have  no  privi- 

"  8  Ency.  Brit.  740. 


LAWYEBS  IX  ECCLESIASTICAL    TRIALS.  253 

leges  not  accorded  unto  others  in  conducting  a  case  or  in 
pleading.  But  (2)  as  Christian  counselors  lawyers  may 
conduct  cases  of  discipline.  Their  experience  and  wisdom 
can  thus  be  used  in  the  interest  of  justice.  If  a  member  of 
the  church,  a  lawyer  may  assist  the  accused  or  conduct  the 
case  of  the  church.  He  acts  as  a  church  member  in  either 
case,  not  as  a  lawyer,  and  is  amenable,  like  any  other  mem- 
ber, to  the  church.  In  consequence  of  conducting  the  trial, 
he  rightly  loses  both  voice  and  vote  in  making  up  the  result 
of  the  trial.  (3)  Lawyers  who  are  not  church  members  in 
any  communion  ought  not  to  be  admitted  to  conduct  a 
church  trial.  This  is  the  general,  if  not  universal,  rule  in 
other  communions.  It  is  said  for  the  Baptists  that  "  it 
would  not  be  proper  for  any  member  on  trial  before  the 
church  to  bring  a  person  who  is  not  a  member  to  appear  as 
his  advocate  and  plead  his  cause."  ^*  The  Episcopal  Metho- 
dists limit  counsel  to  "any  member  in  good  and  regular 
standing  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church."  ^^  The  Pres- 
byterians and  Reformed  Churches  have  this  rule :  "  No 
professional  counsel  shall  be  permitted  to  appear  and  plead 
in  cases  of  process  in  any  of  our  ecclesiastical  courts.  But  if 
an}-  accused  person  feels  unal)le  to  represent  and  plead  his 
own  cause  to  advantage,  he  may  request  any  minister  or 
elder  belonging  to  the  judicatory  before  which  he  appears  to 
prepare  and  exhibit  his  cause  as  he  may  judge  proper.  But 
the  minister  or  elder  so  engaged  shall  not  be  allowed,  after 
pleading  the  cause  of  the  accused,  to  sit  in  judgment  as  a 
member  of  the  judicatory."  ^^  The  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  says  that  "  the  accusers  may,  if  they  choose,  select  a 
lay  communicant  of  this  church,  of  the  profession  of  the  law, 
to  act  as  their  adviser,  advocate,  and  agent,  in  preparing  the 
accusation,  proofs,  etc.  ;  "  and  the  board  for  trial  "sliall  also 
appoint  a  church  advocate,  who  must  be  a  lay  communicant 
of  this  church,  and  of  the  profession  of  the  law,"  to  repre- 

"  Hiscox's  Baptist  Directory,  1871,  100. 

"  Discipline,  1872,  §  347.  'o  Discipline,  chap,  iv,  §  21. 


254  THE   CHURCH- KIXGDOM. 

sent  tlie  elnirch  in  the  trial  of  a  bishop.^"  We  should  not, 
in  our  liberty,  imperil  the  peace  of  our  churches  by  admit- 
ting non-church  members  to  plead  or  conduct  process  in 
them.  (4)  The  same  may  be  said  of  councils  and  associa- 
tions of  churches,  although  the  reasons  are  stronger  for  the 
exclusion  of  professional  counsel  from  trials  l)efore  churches 
than  from  trials  l)efore  councils  and  associations.  The  arts 
of  a  lawyer  pleading  as  sucli  are  more  likely  to  liewilder  a 
church  than  to  confuse  a  council  and  association  ;  and  hence 
the  greater  the  danger.  But  brethren  versed  in  law  may,  as 
unprofessional  counsel,  render  inestimable  assistance  in 
church  trials  wherever  held. 

§  177.  What  censures  may  be  administered  ?  The  rule 
for  private  offences,  heresy,  and  public  scandals  (§§  163  :  1, 
2)  seems  to  be  one,  that  of  exclusion  from  the  church.  The 
apostolic  power  "  to  deliver  such  an  one  unto  Satan  for  the 
destruction  of  the  flesh  "  (1  Cor.  5:5;  1  Tim.  1  :  20)  was 
never  conferred  upon  the  local  church.  If  the  accused  be 
found  guilty  by  the  church,  and  the  offence  be  light,  the  end 
of  purity  may  be  secured  by  the  censure  of  admonition. 
The  guilty  party  is  admonished  of  his  guilt,  the  injury  done 
Christ  and  his  cause,  and  enjoined  to  penitence  and  reforma- 
tion. If  the  offence  be  more  grievous,  there  may  be  added 
to  this  admonition  suspension  from  communion  for  a  fixed 
period.  When  this  period  is  elapsed,  the  offender,  with- 
out further  action  by  the  church,  is  restored  to  good  and 
regular  standing  again.  If  the  sin  demand  the  extreme 
censure  of  excommunication,  the  church  may  wait  a  short 
time  before  pronouncing  it,  that  the  man  may  repent  and 
confess  ;  but,  if  he  still  remain  incorrigible,  he  must  be  cut 
off  entirely  from  church  standing  and  become  to  the  church 
"  as  a  Gentile  and  a  publican." 

If  after  his  excommunication  he  Ijecomes  penitent  and 
asks  for  restoration,  and  the  church  be  satisfied  with  his 
repentance  and  reparation,  he  can  be  restored  to  full  mem- 

"  Digest  of  the  Canons,  Can.  9,  §§  2  [3],  4  [3]. 


ECCLESIASTICAL    CEXSUBES.  25-5 

bership  iiguiii  l»y  a  vote,  reciting  the  fact  of  repentance  and 
reparation,  and  lifting  or  removing  the  censure.  This  is  not 
a  reconsideration  of  the  vote  of  excommunication,  which 
vote  still  stands  as  a  part  of  the  record,  but  a  lifting  of  the 
censure,  by  Avhieh  action  he  is  restored  to  full  mcmbersliip 
again  without  public  profession  or  further  action. 

§  178.  Should  the  act  of  censure  be  p'.iblifly  announced? 
This  was  our  former  custom,  and  two  considerati(j::s  seem  to 
determine  the  answer.  (1)  If  nieml)ers  are  admitted  pul> 
licly,  as  they  are,  they  ought  to  be  cast  out  publiely,  if  cast 
out  at  all.  If  admitted  with  joy  and  thanksgiving,  they 
should  be  cut  off  with  sorrow  and  lamentati(^)n.  If  they 
enter  through  the  front  door,  they  should  not  be  sent  out 
through  the  back  door.  For  (2)  equity  requires  that  repa- 
ration should  be  as  wide  and  public  as  the  injury  done. 
This  law  lies  at  the  bottom  of  Christ's  rule  of  discipline. 
So  long  as  an  offence  is  private,  private  reparation  is  all  that 
is  required.  If  it  be  extended  to  the  one  or  two  witnesses 
in  a  second  interview,  the  confession  must  be  l)efore  them.  If 
it  be  carried  to  the  church,  the  reparation  or  excommunication 
must  be  before  the  whole  church.  If  members  are  admitted 
in  church  meeting,  when  the  congregation,  as  distinct  from 
the  church,  is  absent,  their  excommunication  need  only  be 
announced  in  a  similar  meeting ;  for  neither  equity  nor 
policy  requires  the  advertising  of  church  troubles,  whether 
in  prayers,  in  sermons,  or  in  other  public  announcements. 
The  church  and  pastor  may  lament  the  existence  of  troul)les, 
but  let  their  lamentations  be  in  private,  not  in  the  social 
meetings  or  in  the  pulpit,  lest  strangers  ask.  What  is  the 
trouble  here  ?  and  the  worship  be  marred  and  embittered  by 
needless  personal  reflections.  In  all  worship,  let  thoughts  of 
God  and  love  and  peace  and  truth  drive  out  the  petty  quar- 
rels and  needed  censures  of  men.  Yet  an  announcement 
of  the  excommunieation  of  a  member  is  not  so  unauthorized 
as  to  be  a  public  li])el  (^r  slander. 

§  179.     Are  persons  taking  part  in  church  trials  protected 


256  THE  CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

by  the  law  of  the  state  ?  All  who  take  part,  whether  as  wit- 
nesses or  as  moderator,  or  in  any  other  capacity,  if  they  act  in 
good  faith,  are  protected  from  suits  for  slander  or  libel.  This 
extends  to  the  reading  of  an  excommunication  from  the  pul- 
pit. The  state  recognizes  the  right  of  a  church  to  adminis- 
ter its  discij)line,^^  so  long  as  it  keeps  to  its  proper  province. 
It  will  not  even  interfere  to  restore  an  irregularly  expelled 
member.i^ 

§  180.  When  do  irregularities  in  procedure  invalidate 
church  proceedings  ?  As  important  as  this  question  would 
appear  to  be,  in  view  of  the  frequent  appeals  based  on  this 
ground,  both  in  state  courts  and  in  the  judicatories  of  other 
polities,  we  find  that  it  has  been  omitted  from  all  the  writers 
on  Congregationalism  that  we  have  consulted.  We  have 
considered  it  briefly  in  other  manuals.^*^  It  demands  a  more 
elaborate  treatment.  (1)  Irregularities  often  occur.  They 
do  in  civil  and  criminal  procedures,  in  the  hands  and  under 
the  eyes  of  trained  lawyers.  They  occur  also  under  polities 
with  elaborate  books  of  discipline  which  are  the  inflexible 
standards  of  procedure.  They  can  not  be  less  frequent 
under  our  free  and  independent  polity  with  no  authoritative 
standard  but  the  Bible,  althougli  we  have  books  of  principles 
and  usages.  (2)  The  force  of  irregularities  in  civil  and 
criminal  procedure  has  been  elaborately  discussed  and  the 
precedents  formulated  into  the  rule,  that  a  mistake  or  irregu- 
larity, to  find  relief  in  equity,  must  be  of  a  material  nature, 
and  the  determining  ground  of  the  transaction.-^  (3) 
Irregularities  in  Presbyterian  procedure  rest  on  the  same 
principle.  Thus  the  General  Assembly  has  decided  that 
*'  an  irregularity  in  the  call  does  not  necessarily  invalidate 
the  election ;  "    that  "  irregularity  in  the  mode  of  election 

18  Buck's  Mass.  Eccl.  Law,  70,  71;  13  Wallace  (U.  S.  Supreme  Court) ,  722-734 ;  5  Gush- 
ing (Mass.),  412;  51  Vt.  501  (31  Am.  Repts.  698-707). 

13  37  Mich.  Repts.  542. 

-^  Ohio  Manual,  23;  Pocket  Manual,  §  110. 

21  Kerr  on  Fraud  and  Mistake,  399;  Parsons  on  Contracts,  555 ;  Story  on  Contracts, 
339. 


IRREaULARITtES  IN  DISCIPLINE.  257 

does  not  invalidate  the  ordination ;  "  that  "  the  superior  judi- 
catory shall  judge  how  far  the  irregularity  vitiates  the  pro- 
ceedings and  defeats  the  ends  of  justice ;  "  that  "  a  dismission 
may  be  irregular,  yet  valid  ;  "  and  that  a  decision  may  be 
reversed  in  part,  on  grounds  of  irregularity,  and  sustained 
in  the  rest.^  A  mere  irregularity  does  not  here  invalidate, 
unless  it  be  of  a  material  nature  and  the  determining  ground 
of  the  transaction.  (4)  The  same  principle  will  hold  in  our 
polity.  And  we  may  give  as  a  rule  in  Congregationalism : 
That  an  irregularity,  to  invalidate  proceedings,  or  to  be  a 
ground  of  relief,  must  be  of  a  material  nature  and  the  deter- 
mining ground  of  the  transaction.  If  it  can  be  shown  that 
the  censure  or  the  transaction  would  not  have  occurred  if 
the  irregularity  had  not  occurred,  the  irregularity  is  material 
and  invalidates  the  action.  Rut  if  the  censure  or  transac- 
tion would  have  been  the  same  if  the  irregularity  had  not 
occurred,  the  irregularity  is  not  material  and  does  not 
invalidate  the  transaction.  This  seems  to  be  a  rule  of 
equity  and  common  sense. 

§  181.  Who  may  vote  in  cases  of  discipline  and  on  other 
church  matters  ?  This  question  is  of  grave  importance, 
involving  as  it  does  the  purity,  peace,  and  prosperity  of  our 
churches.  Shall  any  limitation  be  put  upon  the  right  of 
suffrage  in  the  churches  ?  and  if  so,  what  limitation  ?  (1) 
The  best  time  to  answer  this  question  is  when  no  other  issue 
is  pending.  When  the  stress  of  trouble  is  upon  a  church 
and  parties  are  excited,  and  a  few  votes  may  turn  the  trem- 
bling scales  and  determine  the  gravest  questions,  it  is  no 
time  to  settle  who  shall  be  entitled  to  vote  and  who  shall 
not.  Rules  already  made  can  be  and  should  be  enforced; 
usages  may  ho.  called  in  to  limit  the  right  of  suffrage  ;  but 
all  attempts  in  a  quarrel,  by  either  party,  to  pass  a  rule  de- 
fining those  limits  will  be  bitterly  resisted.  (2)  The  rules 
of  discipline  should  exclude  minors  from  the  right  of 
suffrage   in   the    church,   as    custom   excludes   them.      The 

"  Moore's  Presby.  Digest  (1873),  338,  339;  142;  540;  634;  572. 


258  THE   CHUB CH- KINGDOM. 

reasons  for  such  a  rule  are  conclusive  :  (a)  Minors  can  not 
give  a  free  vote.  They  are  legally,  morally,  and  Scriptur- 
ally  subject  to  the  will  of  their  parents.  "•  The  rule  of 
the  common  law  that  infants  can  not  vote  in  civil  corpora- 
tions is  applicable  to  religious  corporations,"  says  Judge 
William  Lawrence,  of  Ohio.^^  The  parents  can  punish 
minor  children  for  not  voting  as  they  command,  as  for  any 
other  disobedience.  And  the  Bible  requires  obedience  of 
children  to  parents  (Eph.  6:1;  Col.  3  :  20).  These 
reasons  apply  as  strongly  to  the  uncorporate  action  as  to 
the  corporate  action  of  churches.  To  submit  to  the  vote  of 
minors  the  question  of  creed,  of  pastorate,  of  discipline,  or 
the  question  of  salary,  expenditures,  church  building,  etc., 
is  the  absurdity  of  liberty.  There  is  untold  evil  in  it.  Re- 
ligious liberty  does  not  involve  it.  Children  are  subject  to 
their  parents  until  of  age.  The  courts  so  hold  in  religious 
matters.  Hence  a  Baptist  minister  in  Pennsylvania  was 
held  to  have  ''interfered  with  the  lawful  authority  of  the 
father "  by  immersing  a  daughter,  aged  seventeen  years, 
against  the  prohibition  of  her  Presbyterian  father.^*  (5) 
Children  can  not  give  a  mature  vote,  even  if  allowed  to  vote 
as  they  please.  The  civil  law  in  its  treatment  of  them  rests 
partly  on  this  immaturity,  and  churches  can  not  ignore  it. 
Hence  (c)  the  vote  of  minors,  being  immature  and  subject 
to  the  will  of  parents,  will  not  long  be  endured.  The  ques- 
tions at  issue  are  too  momentous,  such  as  creed,  discipline, 
pastorate,  salary,  expenditure,  building  and  repairing 
churches,  fellowship.  Wise  men  will  not  give  liberally  to 
churches  if  all  their  gifts  and  labors  are  to  be  put  in  jeopardy 
by  the  votes  of  children.  Hence  the  usage  which  excludes 
minors  from  voting  should  be  put  into  the  rules  of  discipline 
of  every  Congregational  church.  (3)  Women  were  formerly 
denied  by  usage  the  right  of  suffrage  in  our  churches,  both 

23  The  Law  of  Relig.  Soc.  and  Church  Corporations  in  Am.  Law  Register,  New  Series, 
xii,  '201,  329,  537;  xiii,  65,  wliere  a  multitude  of  precedents  are  cited  on  all  points 
involved.  -*  ibid.  538. 


VOTERS  m  LOCAL    CHURCHES.  259 

ill  England  and  in  Anierica.^s  The  prohibitions  of  the  New 
Testament  (1  Cor.  14 :  34,  35 ;  1  Tim.  2 :  11-15)  have  l)een 
held  t(j  cover  voting  as  well  as  speaking  in  the  churches  ; 
but  female  suffrage  in  the  churches  has  increased  until  now 
it  is  common.  State  laws  sometimes  allow  it  in  religious 
societies  or  corporations.  (4)  In  cases  of  dLscipline  the 
accused  and  the  man  who  brings  the  complaint  and  they 
who  conduct  the  case  on  l)oth  sides  should  not  vote.  Great 
care  must  be  had  that  an  impartial  verdict  be  rendered ; 
and  yet,  as  an  offence  may  be  against  the  whole  church, 
all  parties  in  interest  can  not  be  excluded. 

§  182.  What  is  the  validity  of  a  vote  when  the  majorit}- 
present  fail  to  vote?  This  condition  of  things  is  quite 
common  in  all  l^odies.  Men  are  indifferent,  or  there  is  no 
division  over  a  measure,  and  so  onl}^  a  few  take  the  trouble  to 
vote,  the  majority  not  voting.  Important  laws  are  thus 
passed.  For  such  a  vote  is  valid  if  a  majority  of  those  vot- 
ing are  in  the  affirmative.  Judge  Lawrence,  in  his  articles 
above  referred  to,  cites  cases  to  show  that  "•  an  election  is 
valid  if  the  majority  neglect  to  vote."  ^  The  same  would  be 
true  of  any  other  action,  provided  there  were  no  rule  or  con- 
stitutional provision  to  the  contrary. 

§  183.  Can  members  of  a  church  be  dropped  from  the 
roll  without  censure  ?  We  may  answer  here  :  (1)  Members 
can  not  be  dropped  at  their  own  option.  A  member  can  not 
cease  to  be  a  member  by  voluntary  withdrawal.  This  is 
impossible  from  the  nature  of  covenant  church  membershij). 
(2)  Nor  should  a  member  he  dropped  while  charges  against 
him  are  pending.  If  a  man  be  under  charges,  the  case 
should  go  to  trial,  that  the  man  may  be  acquitted  or  con- 
demned. To  drop  his  name,  even  at  his  own  request,  under 
charges,  would  be  the  perversion  of  discipline.  (3)  If  a 
man  prefer  charges  against  a  church  member  or  the  })astor, 
the  matter  can  not  be  evaded  by  dropping  the  complainant, 
either  with  or  without  censure,  until  such  charges  have  been 

"  Buck's  >rass.  Ecel.  Law,  6S,  213.  •'"'  12  Am.  Law  Register  (New  Series),  .>t9. 


260  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDO^T. 

properly  disposed  of.  It  were  abhorrent  thus  to  punish  a 
man  for  beginning  process  of  discipline  ;  and  the  dropj)ing 
of  his  name  under  such  circumstances  would  properly  be 
held  to  be  a  confession  of  guilt  or  of  fear  of  conviction  on 
the  part  of  those  doing  it  or  permitting  it  to  be  done.  If 
charges  are  preferred  against  a  man  or  officer  through  spite 
or  persecution,  the  motive  should  be  exposed  in  the  trial  and 
the  false  accuser  of  the  brethren  should  he  punished  by 
proper  church  action.  (4)  But  absent  members  may  some- 
times be  dropped  from  the  roll.  Such  members  should  be 
hunted  up  and  labored  with,  and  so  induced  to  take  letters ; 
but  if  they  will  not  join  another  church,  they  should  be  dealt 
with  severally  as  they  deserve ;  if  they  desire  to  retain  the 
old  connection,  let  it  be  retained  under  such  conditions  as 
the  church  may  deem  best  to  impose  ;  if  they  are  indifferent 
or  repellent,  let  their  names  be  dropped  with  or  without  cen- 
sure as  the  church  may  deem  best.  (5)  But  unconverted 
members  who  have  joined  the  church  under  a  mistake,  and 
perhaps  under  moral  pressure,  whose  lives  are  free  from  scan- 
dal, may,  if  they  desire  it,  be  dropped  without  censure.  To 
excommunicate  such,  with  all  the  dishonor  attaching  there- 
to, were  unjust  and  cruel.  It  damages  the  discipline  of  a 
church  by  putting  no  difference  between  a  mistake  and  a  sin, 
but  meting  out  to  each  the  same  penalty,  and  publishing 
both  in  the  minutes  under  the  same  head.^'  Such  moral 
members,  mistaken  as  to  their  conversion,  should  be  urged 
to  make  their  covenant  vows  real  by  repentance  and  faith ; 
but,  failing  in  this,  the  church  should  drop  their  names  with- 
out censure.  The  utmost  o^entleness  must  be  exercised 
towards  them  in  the  whole  matter,  that,  if  it  be  possible, 
they  may  be  won,  and  not  alienated.  (6)  The  dropping  of 
such  members  aj^pears  to  be  a  just,  and  consequently  a  grow- 
ing,  custom    among   our   churches.      This   appears   from   a 

"  Down  to  the  year  1878  the  Year  Book  recorded  all  who  had  been  dropped  under  the 
head  "  Excommunicated ;  "  but  in  the  statistics  for  that  year  the  more  comprehensive 
term  "  Disciplined  "  appears,  which  includes  every  degree  of  censure  and  dropping 
names  without  censure. 


DROPPING   ME3IBERS.  261 

partial  consensus  of  church  usages  therein,^^  and  from  other 


sources. 


29 


§  184.  What  part  shoukl  a  pastor  take  in  the  discipline 
of  members  ?  (1)  He  should  not  take  part  either  as  the 
offended  in  the  preliminary  steps  or  as  the  prosecutor.  Let 
the  parties  immediately  concerned  attend  to  all  such  matters. 
If  he  himself  has  suffered  wrong,  it  is  ordinarily  better  for 
him  to  bear  it  for  Christ's  sake  than  to  bring  the  offender  to 
discipline  ;  but  if  the  wrong  demand  public  redress,  he  must 
begin  and  conduct  the  case  as  a  private  member,  not  as  a 
pastor.  He  must  not  preside,  or  claim,  or  use  any  privileges 
as  pastor  in  the  trial.  (2)  Yet,  as  in  other  cases,  he  is  to 
see  to  it  that  the  proper  steps  have  been  taken,  and  all 
things  necessary  for  the  hearing  of  the  case  (§§  166,  172) 
have  been  done  l)efore  the  trial  ])egins.  (3)  In  all  things  he 
is  to  show  himself  impartial  and  non-partisan.  He  in  other 
cases  is  the  presiding  officer ;  as  such  he  must  give  rulings  on 
points  that  may  arise.  Hence  he  should  not  oidy  be  impartial, 
but  he  must  appear  to  be  impartial,  which  he  can  not  be  if 
he  interest  himself  for  any  party.  A  civil  judge  can  not  sit 
on  a  case  in  which  he  has  been  or  is  an  attorney.  The  pas- 
tor should  be  as  scrupulous  in  church  trials. 

§  185.  When  the  pastor  is  the  accused,  can  a  local  church 
complete  the  discipline  ?  (1)  According  to  the  pastoral 
theory  of  the  ministry  (§  111),  the  church  can  first 
remove  him  from  office,  when  he  l)ecomes  a  layman  again  ;  ^ 
and  he  can  then  ])e  disciplined  as  a  layman.'"^  But 
this  theory  is  false  (§§  111,  IIS),^^  \^q^^^.q  (O)  a  church 
may  deal  with  a  minister  as  respects  his  Christian  character 
and  conduct  (§§  131 :  5  ;  162 :  2)  and  excommunicate  him, 
in  virtue  of  its  authority  to  discipline  all  its  members  (§§  99, 
161).  But  since  a  minister  is  more  than  a  member,  since 
his  ministerial  function  has  been  recognized  by  the  churches 

='  Brooklyn  Council,  1S76. 

^^  Roy's  Manual,  art.  iii.  §  4;  Ross's  Pocket  Manual,  §  117. 

s"  Dexter's  Congregationalism,  150,  and  Note. 

31  New  Englamler  (ISSo),  461,  462.  3=  43  Bib.  Sacra,  403. 


262  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

in  ordination  (§  121),  and  since  church  censures  would 
impair  his  ministerial  recognition  and  standing  (§§  122, 123), 
justice  and  the  law  of  fellowship  require  that  even  in  church 
censures  the  voice  of  neighboring  churches  should  be  had 
before  judgment  is  passed  by  the  church.  As,  however,  the 
methods  of  ascertaining  the  voice  of  said  churches  depend 
upon  the  fellowship  of  independent  churches,  we  must  post- 
23one  the  further  consideration  of  this  subject  to  the  next 
Lecture  (§§  200,  201,  202,  211,  212). 

§  186.  If  a  church  do  wrong  in  its  discipline,  is  there  any 
redress  ?  (1)  When  it  obeys  Christ  in  spirit  and  in  the  let- 
ter of  discipline,  it  will  not  be  likely  to  do  wrong.  It  will 
do  nothing  tliat  sanctitied  human  nature,  enlightened  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  can  ever  hope  to  better.  But  a  church  some- 
times acts  liastily,  passionately,  and  so  commits  wrong  in 
dealing  with  members  which  ouglit  to  find  redress  in  some 
way.  (2)  Other  polities  allow  appeals  to  be  taken  to  higher 
judicatories,  even  to  national  tril)unals,  in  some  of  which  the 
wrong,  it  is  hoped,  may  be  righted.  The  want  of  similar 
right  of  appeal  might  be  urged  against  our  polity  as  a  grave 
defect,  if  we  liad  no  method  of  redress  equally  good,  and  if 
the  Master,  in  the  rule  itself,  had  not  precluded  such  "  higher 
courts."  Since  he  has  forbidden  them  (§  99  :  2,  3),  no  satis- 
factory redress  from  wrongs  inflicted  by  local  church  action 
can  be  expected  ;  for  whatever  gain  may  be  claimed  for  such 
judicatories,  the  gain  is  more  than  counterbalanced  by 
the  loss  of  liberty.  (3)  Our  polity  preserves  the  primitive 
liberty,  while  allowing  councils  of  advice  in  cases  of  griev- 
ance or  claimed  injury.  If  the  cluirch  desire  light  before 
issuing  the  case,  as  when  a  minister  is  on  trial  before  it,  or 
when  the  offence  of  a  layman  has  been  peculiar ;  or  if  a 
member  has  been  unjustly  censured  and  desires  redress  or 
vindication,  the  proper  council  can  be  called  to  inquire  into 
the  matter  fully  and  give  advice.  This  way  is  open  without 
involving  the  whole  community  or  denomination  in  the  affair. 
(4)  This  is  in  harmony  with  Christ's  rule,  which  does  not 


BEDIiESS   OF  GRIEVANCES.  263 

exclude  light  and  advice,  but  external  authority.  It  leaves 
the  action  of  a  local  church,  though  advised,  final.  (5)  If 
the  church  refuse  the  advice  sought  and  obtained,  the 
aggrieved  can  use  the  advice,  if  favorable,  in  vindication  of 
his  conduct  and  in  admission  to  another  church.  (6)  This 
method  is  the  best  in  experience.  The  advice  of  the  wisest 
men  can  be  sought  and  secured.  This  has  in  practice  worked 
so  well  that  the  decrees  of  General  Assemblies  have  been 
confessed  to  be  little  more  than  advice.  Our  method  con- 
forms to  Christ's  rule,  and  is  best  in  rightly  balancing  purity 
and  liberty. 

Before  completing,  therefore,  the  discipline  of  ministers 
by  local  churches,  we  must  consider  the  bearing  of  fellow- 
ship upon  it. 


LECTURE   X. 

THE  DOCTRINE   OF    THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. — 
FELLOWSHIP. 

"  A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  ye  love  one  another ;  even  as  I 
have  loved  you,  that  ye  also  love  one  another.  By  this  shall  all  men  know  that 
ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  to  another."  —  Jesus  Christ. 

^^  Neither  for  these  only  do  I  pray,  but  for  them  also  that  believe  on  me 
through  their  word ;  that  they  may  all  be  one  ,*  .  .  .  that  the  loorld  may  be- 
lieve that  thou  didst  send  me."  —  Jesus  Christ. 

§  187.  Christ's  church-kingdom  appears  chiefly  in  little 
democratic  bodies  called  churches,  independent  one  of 
another  in  matters  of  control  and  authority.  Each  can  elect 
and  install  its  own  officers,  control  its  own  worship  and  disci- 
pline, and  manage  its  own  affairs ;  yet  all  in  subjection  to 
the  will  of  Christ  Jesus,  the  Head  and  King.  These  free 
and  independent  churches,  having  individually  the  same  rela- 
tion precisely  to  Christ  and  his  church-kingdom  (§§  97,  98), 
stand  fundamentally  and  essentially  in  the  closest  relations 
of  fellowship  one  with  another. 

§  188.  The  definition  of  church  fellowship  may  be  de- 
rived from  that  of  Christian  fellowship.  One  article  of  the 
Apostles'  Creed  defines  the  church  to  be  "  the  communion  of 
saints,"  the  fellowship  of  believers.  This  is  its  chief  visible 
manifestation,  first,  in  local  churches ;  then  in  association  of 
churches.  We  may,  therefore,  define  church  fellowship  to 
be  the  communion  of  churches.  As  saints  in  local  churches 
have  "  mutual  association  on  equal  and  friendly  terms,"  so 
churches  have  mutual  association  one  with  another  on  equal 
and  friendly  terms,  which  constitutes  church  fellowship.  As 
saints  hold  fellowship  for  their  mutual  edification  in  worship, 
cooperation  in  labors,  and  sanctification  in  spirit,  so  churches 
hold  fellowship  for  the  same  purposes. 


CHUBCH  FELLOWSHIP.  265 

§  189.  Church  fellowship  is  a  necessity  as  truly  as  Chris- 
tian fellowship.  The  church-kingdom  is  one,  and  not  many. 
Hence  all  believers  every-where  are  united  by  faith  and  love 
to  Christ  and  to  one  another  in  one  only  spiritual  household. 
This  spiritual  unity  compels  the  formation  of  local  churches, 
but  it  is  not  limited  by  the  boundaries  of  these  particular 
congregations  of  believers.  It  necessitates  also  the  fellow- 
ship of  churches.  And  as  the  spiritual  unity  ])ecomes  visi- 
ble unity  in  local  churches,  it  must  also,  for  the  same  reason, 
become  \asible  unity  in  associations  of  churches,  and  will 
not  be  satisfied  until  all  churches  are,  in  some  tangible  sense, 
visibly  one.  Isolation  is  as  contrary  to  the  nature  of  churches 
as  it  is  contrary  to  the  nature  of  saints,  because  churches 
have  their  existence  and  continuance  in  the  life  and  love  of 
the  one  church-kingdom.  Hence  the  new  commandment 
given  by  Christ  to  his  disciples,  that  they  love  one  another 
as  Christ  has  loved  them  (John  13 :  34).  This  love  and  life 
makes  them  all  one.  But  Christ  had  more  that  spiritual 
unity  —  which  can  not  be  broken  (§§32:  2;  97)  —  in  mind 
when  he  gave  the  commandment  and  prayed  his  sacerdotal 
prayer.  This  unity  must  become  visible  unity,  that  all  may 
know  that  members  are  true  disciples  of  Christ  (John  13 : 
35),  and  the  world  may  believe  that  God  sent  him  (John  17  : 
21).  It  is  an  unwarranted  concession  to  the  spirit  and  fact 
of  schism,  to  limit  the  unity  for  which  the  great  High  Priest 
prayed  before  his  offering  up  to  spiritual  unity,  which  is  by 
nature  indivisil)le.  It  expressly  refers  to  a  unity  that  can 
be  seen,  which  convinces  the  world  of  the  divinity  of  our 
Lord  Jesus. 

§  190.  Hence  church  fellowship  is  not  peculiar  to  any 
polity,  for  all  polities  are  built  upon  it.  Each  polity  must, 
indeed,  have  a  peculiar  method  of  using  this  common  ele- 
ment when  it  passes  over  from  ''  the  communion  of  saints  " 
to  the  communion  of  churches ;  Imt  the  element  of  fellow- 
ship is  in  all  systems  the  same.  No  polity  lias  such  a  pre- 
emption of  it  that  it  can  truly  call  the  fellowship  of  churches 


266  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

a  peculiar  principle.  What  is  peculiar  is  not  fellowship 
itself,  but  the  way  of  using  it,  of  exhibiting  it.  One  polity 
has  one  way ;  another  has  another  way ;  all,  some  way. 
Fellowship  is  not,  therefore,  peculiar  to  Congregationalism  ^ 
(§43). 

§  191.  This  element  of  fellowship,  arising  from  spiritual 
oneness,  and  being  therefore  necessary,  has  been  the  chief 
vehicle  on  which  centralized  and  false  theories  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  have  ridden  into  power.  Each  has  claimed  to 
express  the  unity  of  the  church-kingdom  in  the  normal  way 
(§§  52,  55,  59,  67,  81),  and  that  way  ends  in  unity  by  force. 
The  churches  retained,  in  large  degree,  their  independence 
and  liberty  down  to  the  union  of  the  Church  with  the  Empire 
under  Constantine  (§  226).  Since  then  unity  of  fellow- 
ship has  been  sought  under  force.  But  ecclesiastical  force 
is  divisive.  It  divided  the  Greek  and  Roman  Churches,  A.  D. 
381-1054.  It  cast  out  the  Reformation  in  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury. Later  it  ejected  the  Puritans  and  the  Pilgrims.  In 
the  eighteenth  century  it  drove  out  the  followers  of  Wesley. 
Fellowship  endures  force  and  corruption,  until  the  life  of 
God  in  the  heart  can  bear  it  no  longer,  then  the  life  of 
love  must  break  fellowship  or  perish.  Such  has.  been  the 
origin  of  divisions  under  theories  that  use  force.  Tyranny 
has  been  endured  long  because  of  fellowship,  and  fellowship 
has  been  abused  in  the  interest  of  hierarchies,  until  rebell- 
ions and  separations  have  arisen.  Thus  there  are  five  Pres- 
byterian Churches  in  Scotland  and  nine  in  the  United  States ; 
and  there  are  nine  Methodist  Churches  in  the  United  States 
(§§70:  1;  247). 

§  192.  Church  fellowship  may  exhibit  itself  fully  under 
the  polity  of  liberty.  It  was  "the  plan  of  the  apostles  to 
establish  many  churches  absolutely  independent  one  of 
another,"  but  yet  m  visible  fellowship,  according  to  the 
prayer  of  Christ  (John  17:  21).  It  has  been  thought  that 
unity  in  fellowship  could  not  co-exist  with  liberty ;  but  it  is 

1  New  Englander,  1878,  514-520. 


FELLOWSHIP  AXD   LIBERTY.  267 

coming  to  be  seen  that  force,  and  not  liberty,  is  the  great  foe 
of  unity,  and  tliat  the  fullilhnent  of  the  prayer  of  Christ  can 
be  had  only  in  the  spontaneous,  free,  equal,  and  universal 
association  of  local  churches.  In  such  association  eacli 
church  can  retain  freedom,  while  all  Christendom  becomes 
one  in  visible  manifestation.  This  is  the  divine  model. 
The  primitive  churclies,  though  perfectly  independent  under 
Christ  (§§  98,  99,  100,  109),  were  not  isolated.  They  had 
the  most  fraternal  interest  in  one  another,  as  we  have  shown 
(§  101).  They  recognized  their  unity,  and  began  to  mani- 
fest it  in  ways  suited  to  their  environment.  We  may  do 
the  same.  All  the  churches  of  Christ  may  do  the  same, 
their  methods  varying  within  the  Scriptural  independence 
conceded  by  church  historians  (§  109),  that  each  local  church 
has  the  right  and  authority  to  manage  its  own  affairs  with- 
out interference  or  control  from  without.  Beyond  this  limi- 
tation no  church  fellowship  may  pass ;  for  then  it  enters  the 
realm  of  force.  We  shall  see  that  this  liberty  under  fellow- 
ship conduces  to  unity  (§  247),  as  force  produces  divisions. 

There  are  two  ways,  or  systems,  of  fellowship  within  the 
above  limitation,  which  we  will  detail :  one  local  and  occa- 
sional and  limited ;  the  other  stated,  comprehensive,  and 
ecumenical. 

CHURCH   FELLOWSHIP   IN   OCCASIONAL   COUNCILS. 

§  193.  The  origin  of  this  system  of  fellowship  in  occa- 
sional councils  needs  notice. 

(1)  It  has  its  germ  and  warrant  in  the  Scriptures.  The 
prayer  of  Christ,  that  all  might  be  one  and  might  exhibit 
their  unity  (John  17:  20-23),  and  tlie  consultation  at  Jeru- 
salem (Acts  15  :  1-29)  are  the  germ  and  warrant  of  fellow- 
ship by  occasional  councils  wherever  needed.  The  conference 
of  the  churches  of  Antioch  and  Jerusalem  and  the  Apostles, 
over  the  continuance  of  the  rite  of  circumcision,  suorgested 
undoubtedly  similar  consultations  of  churches  without  in- 
spired apostles. 


268  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

(2)  There  arose  in  the  second  century,  local  and  advisory 
assemblies,  or  synods,  whose  decrees  did  not  bind  the 
minority,  but  were  merely  the  mature  expression  of  opinion 
by  the  majority.  There  were  also  general  councils  in  the 
early  days,  beginning  with  that  at  Nice,  A.D.  325,  and  ending 
with  one,  A.D.  869,  whose  creeds  and  decrees  were  enforced 
by  the  temporal  power.  These  may  have  aided  by  example 
in  the  origin  of  the  system  of  occasional  councils. 

(3)  The  system,  as  such,  has,  however,  a  late  and  provin- 
cial origin.  Robert  BroAvne  and  Iris  followers  held  to  fellow- 
sliip  in  councils  for  "  counsel  and  advice."  They  confessed 
"  that  particular  churches  are  '  by  all  means  convenient  to 
have  the  help  of  one  another  in  all  needful  affairs  of  the 
church,  as  members  of  one  body  in  the  common  faith,  under 
Christ,  their  only  Head.' "  ^  But  the  system,  as  such,  origi- 
nated in  New  England.  It  has  been  supposed,  but  without 
careful  inquiry,  that  the  system  of  councils  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  churches,  the  installation  and  dismissal  of  pastors, 
had  a  purely  normal  and  ecclesiastical  origin  and  develop- 
ment. But  there  are  some  things  that  go  to  show  that  the 
system  had  largely  a  political  origin,  or,  if  not  this,  certainly 
a  politico-ecclesiastical  origin,  (a)  It  is  reasonable  to  believe 
that  if  the  system  be  a  normal  outgrowth  of  church  life  and 
forces  under  our  polity,  it  would  have  appeared  in  other 
lands.  But  churches  of  our  faith  and  order  in  other  coun- 
tries have  never  developed  a  similar  system.  (h^  If  the 
system  were  the  normal  expression  of  church  fellowship,  its 
spread,  when  once  originated,  would  have  been  rapid  and 
complete,  certainly  in  this  country,  if  not  in  others ;  but  in- 
stead, it  has  not  prevailed  largely  out  of  New  England,  and 
has  lost  ground  lately  in  New  England.  Installations  cover 
less  than  one  third  of  the  pastors  in  the  country,  and  but 
little  more  than  one  half  in  New  England.  The  stated  asso- 
ciations of  churches  began  early  in  the  present  century;  but 
they  now  embrace  nearly  every  Congregational  church  in  the 

2  Hanbury's  Memorials,  i,  542. 


ORIGIN  OF  ECCLESIASTICAL    COUNCILS.  269 

land,  as  in  foreign  lands.  The  stated  meeting  of  clmrches 
has  become  niiiversal,  because  it  expresses  and  meets  the 
normal  fellowship  of  the  churches  in  the  most  comprehensive 
way ;  but  the  occasional  meeting  of  churches  in  councils  has 
decreased,  because  it  does  not,  and  can  not,  meet  and  satisfy 
the  demands  of  church  fellowship,  which  are  much  wider 
than  advice.  How,  then,  did  the  system  of  councils  come 
into  being?  (c)  We  think  its  general  acceptance  in  New 
England  is  due  to  civil  or  political  causes.  When  councils 
fii'st  came  into  prominence  there,  none  could  vote  in  two 
colonies,  Massachusetts  Bay  and  New  Haven,  except  church 
members  ;  while  in  Plymouth  and  Connecticut  the  suffrage 
was  carefully  restricted.  In  the  former  and  controlling 
colonies  the  Legislatures  were  composed  of  laymen  elected 
by  the  several  churches,  empowered  by  the  Cambridge  Plat- 
form to  suppress  heresy,  immorality,  and  schism.-^  The  Gene- 
ral Court  of  Massachusetts  "  was  but  the  whole  body  of  the 
church  legislating  for  its  parts."  ^  This  General  Court,  in 
1631,  enacted  that  only  church  members  should  be  allowed 
to  vote  ;  ^  in  1636,  that  no  church  should  be  gathered  with- 
out first  acquainting  "  the  magistrates  and  the  elders  of  the 
greater  part  of  the  churches  in  this  jurisdiction  with  their  in- 
tentions, and  have  their  approbation  therein ; "  ^  in  1658, 
"that  henceforth  no  person  shall  publicly  and  constantly 
preach  to  any  company  of  people,  whether  in  church  society 
or  not,  or  be  ordained  to  the  office  of  teaching  elder,  where 
any  two  organic  churches,  council  of  state,  or  general  court 
shall  declare  their  dissatisfaction  thereat ;  .  .  .  and  in  case 
of  ordination  .  .  .  timely  notice  thereof  shall  be  given  unto 
three  or  four  of  the  neighboring  organic  churches,  for  tlieir 
approbation."  ~'  Thus,  no  church  could  be  organized  without 
the  approval  of  the  magistrates  and  of  the  majority  of  the 
churches  in  the  colony ;  and  no  man  could  preach  regularly 

3  Camb.  Plat.  chap.  xvil. 

*  Palfrey's  Hist.  N.  E.  ii,  40.  «  Ibid.  168. 

«  Mass.  Col.  Records,  i,  87.  '  Ibid,  iv,  part  i,  328. 


270  THE  CHUECH-  KINGDOM. 

or  be  ordained  if  two  cliurches,  or  the  council  of  state,  or 
the  General  Court  objected.  It  is  clear  that  some  method  of 
obtaining  the  consent  of  the  churches  was  needed  at  every 
formation  of  a  church  or  ordination  (the  same  then  as  instal- 
lation) of  a  minister.  In  this  need  was  the  birth  of  councils 
for  these  purposes,  and  their  development  into  an  established 
system.  Under  these  and  other  laws,  the  State,  in  its  protec- 
tion of  the  churches,  needed  an  eye  of  inquisition,  that  it 
might  use  wisely  its  arm  of  strength.  It  was  careful  not  to 
trench  on  the  liberties  of  the  churches  beyond  the  warrant 
given  it  in  the  last  chapter  of  the  Cambridge  Platform  ;  and 
how  could  it  guard  these  liberties  and  watch  over  all  inter- 
ests lietter  than  to  make  a  council  of  churches  its  eye  of  in- 
spection, even  in  church  troubles.  Hence  the  General  Court 
repeatedly  called  councils,  naming  churches  and  time,  and 
in  some  instances  ordering  them,  as  a  commission  by  the 
State,  to  report  to  itself.^  That  these  laws  had  time  to  de- 
velop a  system  of  councils  appears  from  the  I'eply  which  the 
General  Court  made,  in  1665,  to  the  king's  commissioners,  in 

8  The  following  are  some  of  the  cases  :  In  1655  the  General  Court  called  a  council  of 
twelve  churches,  which  it  named,  to  adjust  the  troubles  of  Ipswich.  Each  church  is 
ordereil  to  send  "two  messengers."  (Mass.  Col.  Records,  iv,  i)art  i,  225.)  Again,  in 
1H71,  it  ordered  a  council  to  be  held  at  Newbury,  to  settle  troubles,  and  named  the 
churches  and  ordered  the  council  to  report  to  the  General  Court  or  to  the  council  of 
the  state.  (Ibid,  part  ii,  4S7.)  Again,  in  1677,  the  General  Court  ordered  the  church 
and  town  of  Rowley  to  arrange  their  controversj'  before  the  next  term  of  court,  or  all 
l)arties  were  to  appear  before  the  Court.  (Ibid,  v,  149.)  As  the  unruly  town  ami 
church  faUed  to  come  to  terms,  the  Great  and  General  Court  said:  "This  Court  do 
declare  that  they  will  not  countenance  any  procedure  or  actings  therein  contrarj- 
to  the  laws  of  this  Court,  having  therein  made  provision  for  the  peace  of  the  churches 
and  a  settled  ministry  in  each  town,  and  that  all  votes  passed  by  any  among  them  con- 
trary thereunto  are  herel)}'  declared  null  and  void,  and  do  order  the  actors  therein  .  .  . 
to  be  admonished,  and  to  pay  costs,  six  pounds  seven  shillings  and  eight  pence."  (Ibid. 
V,  172, 173.)  As  still  the  strife  continued  between  the  church  and  town  of  Rov»ley,  the 
Court,  in  1679,  ordered  that  ten  cliurches,  which  it  name<l,  "be  written  unto  by  the 
secretary,  in  the  name  of  this  Court,  to  assemble  ...  to  give  tlieir  solemn  advice  aiid 
issue  to  the  said  diflerences,  as  God  shall  direct,  and  make  return  to  the  next  General 
Court."  (Ibid,  v,  245.)  The  Court,  in  1G75,  appointed  a  committee  to  adjust  troubles 
lu  Sak-m  between  the  church  and  town,  which  reported  to  tlie  Court.  (Ibid.  67.) 
Again,  in  1677,  the  Court  ordered  a  committee  to  settle  troubles  civil  and  ecciesiastical 
in  Salisbury,  whose  advice  all  were  required  to  submit  to.  (Ibid.  144.)  In  1679  the 
Court  ordered  the  inhabitants  of  a  precinct  to  apply  themselves  to  the  church  of  Ips- 
wich "  for  reconciliation,"  for  "  erecting  a  meeting-house,"  "  which  being  done,"  the 
Court "  do  grant  them  liberty  to  procure  a  minister  .  .  .  provided  he  be  pious,  able, 


Oniaiy  OF  ECCLESIASTICAL    COUNCILS.  271 

which  it  is  said,  in  reference  to  ecclesiastical  institutions  and 
regulations,  "that  all  proceedings  in  this  kind  be  done  openly 
with  the  approbation  of  the  civil  government  and  of  neigh- 
boring congTcgations,  the  Court  directed  to  the  observation 
thereof,  the  which  practice  having  been  now  attended  among 
us  near  forty  years,  we  have  had  experience  of  the  good 
effect  thereof."^ 

(4)  Such  being  the  origin  and  provincial  nature  of  coun- 
cils, and  the  limitations  of  advice  imposed  upon  them  by  the 
letters  missive  being  so  rigid  and  narrow,  we  may  conclude 
that  the  functions  of  councils  will  in  the  future  be  greatly 
restricted,  being  confined  largely  to  the  settlement  of  contro- 
versies.    Yet  councils  deserve  a  detailed  treatment. 


and  orthodox,  as  the  law  directs,  with  the  advice  of  the  following  committee  "  [which  is 
named].  (Ujid.  2'25.)  In  l(i81  the  Court  appointed  three  laymen  and  the  elders  of 
four  churches  to  heal  an  Andover  quarrel,  and  to  report  to  the  Court.  (Ibid,  v,  3-2.i.) 
Even  the  county  court,  in  16.")3,  forbade  the  new  church  in  Boston  to  call  a  man  to  tho 
pastorate,  because  it  juilged  him  "  unfit  in  abilities,  learning,  and  (|ualiflcations;  "  but 
afterwards,  in  lt).")4,  the  General  Court  recommended  a  fit  man  to  the  said  ctiurcli. 
(Records,  iv,  177,  '210.) 

"  Mass.  Col.  Records,  iv,  part  ii,  220,  221.  We  catch  glimpses  of  the  "  observation  " 
had,  not  only  from  what  is  said  in  the  preceding  note,  but  also  from  the  following 
facts  :  In  IGliO  the  General  Court  removed  a  minister,  and  enjoined  a  church  to  obtain 
another.  (Ibid,  iv,  part  i,  434.)  The  Court  claimed  "the  power  by  the  Word  of  (Jod 
to  assemble  the  churches,"  but  from  prudential  reasons  it  refrained  from  the  use  of 
the  power.  (Ibid,  ii,  l.'it).)  Vet  it,  in  l()7i),  exercised  the  power  of  calling  synods,  and 
commended  the  result  of  said  synod  .so  called.  (Ibid,  v,  21.5,  244.)  It  recommended  the 
renewing  of  the  covenant,  the  enforcement  of  discipline,  and  the  filling  of  all  oflices  in 
the  churches.     (Ibid.  470.) 

The  Plymouth  Colony  was  more  tolerant,  yet,  in  1679,  on  petition  for  uniting  two 
churches  in  Scituate,  the  Court  denied  the  request,  and  ordered  one  to  rebuild  its  meet- 
ing-house, and  appointed  four  men  to  locate  it  and  fix  the  rate  of  assessment  for  the 
same.    (Records,  Plym.  Col.  vi,  26,  27.) 

The  commissioners  of  the  United  Colonies  wrote  a  letter,  in  16.i6,  to  the  church  at  Hart- 
ford, Conn.,  urgingit  to  settle  its  great  trouble.  (Plym.  Records,  x,  17.5,  176.)  They  pro- 
vide also,  in  case  of  "  a  council  or  synod,"  for  settling  '■  any  question  "  "  of  common  con- 
cernment," "  that  the  members  of  such  council  or  synod  may  consist  of  the  churches 
indilferently,  out  of  all  the  United  Colonies  by  the  orderly  agreement  of  the  .several 
general  courts."  (Ibid,  x,  328.)  The  United  Colonies  provided  also,  1656,  for  the  main- 
tenance of  "  an  able,  orthodox  ministry,"  as  "  a  debt  of  justice  and  not  of  charity," 
by  "  the  whole  society  jointly,  whether  in  chureli  order  or  not."      (Ibid.  1.57.) 

It  seems  strange  to  us  that  the  general  courts  had  so  much  to  do  in  church  matters; 
but  the  members  of  those  courts  in  two  colonies  were  at  first  the  representatives  of  the 
churches,  as  much  so  as  the  members  of  our  state  associations.  They  were  elected  to 
rule  ecclesiastically  as  well  as  civilly  and  politically.  The  churches  did  not  entrust 
their  interests  to  councils  alone. 


272  THE   CHUECH-  KINGDOM. 

§  194.  The  description  of  the  system  of  church  councils 
as  developed  in  America. 

(1)  A  church  council  is  the  assembly  of  such  churches  by 
pastor  and  delegate  (and  of  such  persons)  as  may  be  invited 
and  named  in  the  letter  missive,  to  inquire  and  advise  re- 
specting a  specified  matter.^^ 

(2)  A  council  can  be  called  l)y  those  who  wish  to  organize 
a  church,  by  a  church  or  churches,  by  an  aggrieved  member 
or  members  of  a  church,  when  the  church  refuses  to  join  in 
a  mutual  council,  or  by  any  party  or  parties  whose  case  is  of 
common  concernment  or  is  important  enough  to  demand 
advice  from  sister  churches. 

(3)  A  council  is  assembled  by  issuing  proper  letters  mis- 
sive to  the  churches  and  individuals  invited.  These  letters 
should  always  give  :  (a)  the  names  of  the  churches  invited ; 
(5)  the  individuals  invited,  if  any  ;  (c)  the  object  or  objects 
of  the  council ;  and  (c?)  the  time  and  place  of  meeting. 

(4)  The  parties  calling  a  council  fix  and  define  the  mem- 
bership in  the  letters  missive.  No  one  not  covered  by  the 
letters  can  sit  on  the  council.  Not  even  the  church  calling 
it  is  a  member  of  it ;  for  it  asks  for  advice,  and  should  not 
therefore  have  j^art  or  power  in  determining  what  that  ad- 
vice shall  be.  A  council  can  not,  therefore,  from  the  way  it 
is  called,  properly  enlarge  itself,  not  even  by  honorary  mem- 
bership in  it.  This  rule  is  so  essential  to  the  nature  of  a 
council  that  it  should  never  be  broken. 

(5)  Any  invited  party  has  a  right  to  sit  in  a  council.  If 
the  composition  of  the  council  be  such  that  he  can  not  con- 
scientiously sit  in  it,  he  should  decline  to  attend  it  and  notify 
the  parties  calling  it  to  that  effect,  as  also  the  council ;  but 
neither  the  church  itself,  by  letter  or  delegate,  nor  any  indi- 
vidual member  of  the  council,  can  challenge  the  right  of 
another  church  or  of  an  individual  to  membership  therein, 

"  The  rules  given  respecting  councils  are  those  that  have  grown  up  by  usage,  and 
have  come  to  be  recognized  as  valid  though  they  have  never  been  formally  adopted. 
Hence  they  are  somewhat  flexible. 


ECCLESIASTICAL    COUXCILS.  273 

if  covered  by  the  letters  missive.  The  council  itself  can 
not  exclude  a  member,  except  for  miscondnct  in  the  sessions. 
This  arises  from  the  nature  of  a  council,  as  chosen  by  the 
parties  desiring  it. 

(())  A  quorum  of  a  council  consists  of  a  majority  of  all 
who  have  right  to  sit  in  it.  A  minority  of  two  members, 
possibly  of  one,  may  organize  provisionally  and  adjourn  to  a 
fixed  time  and  place,  but  can  not  transact  any  other  business. 

(7)  The  objects  of  a  council  are :  (a)  to  advise  respecting 
the  organization  of  a  church  ; "  (6)  or  the  dissolution  of 
a  church  ;  (j')  the  ordination,  installation,  dismissal,  disci- 
pline, or  deposition  of  a  minister ;  (f7)  the  redress  of 
aggrieved  members;  (e)  church  troubles  or  necessities;  (/) 
the  apostasy  or  disorderl}'-  walk  of  a  church  in  fellowship  ; 
and  (^)  any  matter  requiring  the  combined  wisdom  of  the 
churches  in  council  to  settle.  There  needs  to  be  added  an- 
other object :  (K)  redress  of  grievances  when  a  church  or 
minister  has  been  unjustly  excluded  or  expelled  from  an  as- 
sociation, the  association  and  the  church  or  minister  being 
parties  with  equal  rights  and  privileges  in  calling  the  council 
(§194:  10,  c). 

(8)  The  scope  of  councils  is  limited  by  the  letter  missive 
to  the  specific  object  for  which  the  council  is  called.  A  coun- 
cil should  not  inquire  into  matters  nor  act  u})()n  (questions 

11  When  the  Shepard  Church,  Camhriilge,  was  organizeil,  in  IChje,  the  eleventh  in 
Massachusetts  Hay  Colony,  they  ac^quainteil  thr  magistrates  with  their  purpose  to  form 
a  church,  "who  gave  their  approbation"  anil  "they  sent  to  all  the  neighboring 
churches  for  their  elders  to  give  their  assistance,"  and  asked  "  the  cluirihes,  that  if  they 
did  ai)provc  them  to  be  a  church,  they  would  give  them  the  right  hand  of  fellowship," 
which  was  done  (.Manual  (1872),  8,  9).  So  when  the  Wolturn  church,  Mass.,  was 
formed,  164-2,  the  magistrates  were  present,  and  the  elders  of  the  chiin  hes  questioned 
the  members  to  their  satisfaction,  and  gave  them  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  in  the 
name  of  the  churches.  The  church  was  coubtituted  with  a  covenant,  which  was  as- 
sented to  or  joined  in  before  the  messengers  of  the  churches.  Tliere  appears  to  have 
been  no  distinct  creed.  In  the  covenant  occur  the  words  :  "  And  all  this,  V)oth  accord- 
ing to  the  present  light  that  the  Lord  hath  given  us,  as  also  a<-cording  to  all  further 
light,  which  he  shall  be  pleased  at  any  time  to  reach  out  unto  us  out  of  the  Word  by 
the  goodness  of  his  gi-ace,"  etc.  (Johnson's  Wonder  Working  Providenc*,  Ijook  ii, 
chap,  .wil.) 

This  c^ire  about  new  churches  was  in  the  interest  of  uniformity  enforced  by  law,  as 
well  as,  if  not  more  than,  an  expression  of  fellowship  among  churches.  The  same  is 
true  of  installation  in  the  early  days  of  New  Elngland. 


274  THE   CHUBCHr  KINGDOM. 

not  directly  or  indirectly  covered  by  said  letters.  The  let- 
ters are  held  to  be  the  charter  of  a  council,  beyond  which  in- 
quiry may  not  be  made  or  action  had.  Whatever  is  necessary 
to  a  complete  judgment  and  result  as  to  the  one  specific  ob- 
ject of  the  council  can  be  and  should  be  thoroughly  examined ; 
but  being  called  for  one  purpose,  it  may  not  inquire  into  an- 
other matter  not  germane. 

This  limited  scope  of  councils  —  which,  however,  seems 
necessary  to  liberty  —  utterly  prevents  them  from  ever  be- 
coming able  to  meet  the  wants  of  church  fellowship.  Com- 
munion is  more  comprehensive  than  advice,  and  true  fellow- 
ship can  not  be  limited  to  occasional  expressions  upon  the 
few  topics  of  forming  churches,  installing,  dismissing  and 
disciplining  ministers,  and  adjusting  church  troubles.  This 
limited  scope  of  councils  exhibits  their  essential  inadequacy 
to  satisfy  church  fellowship. 

(9)  The  size  of  councils  is  determined  by  the  party  or 
parties  calling  them.  They  may  range  from  a  few  up  to 
a  hundred  churches  or  more.  They  should  generally  consist 
of  all  neighboring  churches  within  easy  access.  Ten 
churches  make  a  good-sized  council. 

(10)  There  are  several  kinds  of  councils.  When  viewed 
in  respect  to  the  object  mentioned  in  the  letters  missive,  they 
may  be  called  councils  of  recognition,  whether  of  a  church 
or  of  a  pastor ;  councils  of  dissolution  of  a  church ;  councils 
of  ordination,  installation,  dismissal,  or  discipline  of  a  minis- 
ter; councils  of  illumination  or  of  admonition,  etc.;  the 
purpose  of  the  council  giving  the  name  to  it.  When  viewed 
•in  respect  to  the  parties  calling  them,  councils  may  be  classi- 
fied more  exactly,  as,  councils  called  by  one  party,  uni  parte 
councils ;  councils  called  bj^  two  parties  in  agreement,  duo 
parte  councils ;  councils  called  by  parties  in  controversy, 
mutual  councils ;  and  councils  called  by  one  party  to  a  con- 
troversy, ex  parte  councils.  We  will  treat  fully  each  of 
these  four  kinds  of  councils,  though  we  have  explained  them 
elsewhere.^^ 

12  Pocket  Manual,  §§  48-51. 


ECCLESIASTICAL    COUNCILS.  275 

(a)  Councils  called  by  one  party  may  l)e  called,  from  lack 
of  a  better  name,  iini  parte.  There  is  in  connection  with 
them  no  opposition,  nor  other  party  in  agreement.  When 
persons  agree  to  form  a  church  and  call  a  council  to  advise 
in  the  matter,  or  when  a  church  desires  light  and  advice 
in  troubles,  or  in  a  case  of  discipline  or  of  doctrine,  or 
when  any  single  party  calls  a  council  for  any  purpose  what- 
ever, councils  so  called  by  one  party  constitute  a  class  by 
themselves,  to  be  distinguished  from  all  other  councils. 

(6)  When  there  are  two  parties  in  agreement,  standing  in 
no  opposition  to  each  other,  it  produces  confusion  and  evil 
to  call  a  council  convened  by  them  a  mutual  council.  An- 
other name  ought  to  be  found  for  it,  and  one  which  will  dis- 
tinguish it  from  all  other  classes  of  councils.  No  better 
word  than  duo  parte  councils  has  been  found  or  invented  for 
them.  This  class  includes  councils  of  ordination,  installa- 
tion, or  recognition,  and  often  of  dismission  of  a  minister. 
A  council  called  by  a  minister  and  a  friendly  church,  in  agree- 
ment, to  inquire  into  any  matter,  as  the  minister's  standing, 
or  into  the  action  of  a  third  party  with  which  the  minister 
may  have  had  a  controversy  or  by  Avhich  he  may  have  been 
censured,  is  not  a  mutual,  but  a  duo  parte,  council,  because 
called  by  parties  in  perfect  agreement.  To  call  such  a  coun- 
cil mutual  is  misleading. 

(c)  A  mutual  council  is  one  called  by  the  mutual  agree- 
ment and  selection  of  two  or  more  parties  in  controversy. 
Each  party  selects  an  equal  poytion  of  the  council.  The  rule 
is :  "  In  a  difficulty  or  controvers}'  between  the  church  and 
its  elder  or  elders,  or  between  the  church  and  some  other 
person  or  party  in  the  church,  if  a  council  is  desired,  and  the 
church  consents,  the  churches  to  constitute  the  council  are 
selected  by  agreement  between  the  parties  .  .  .  and  this  is 
called  a  mutual  council."  ^^  ''  Cases  of  controversy  in  gen- 
eral between  a  church  and  its  pastor :  cases  of  controversy 
between  a  church  and  a  private  member  or  members,"  call 

"  Boston  Plat,  part  lii,  chap,  ii,  4. 


276  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

for  mutual  councils.  "  Occasions  calling  for  the  formation 
of  mutual  councils  are  always  understood  to  imply  the  ex- 
istence of  two  parties  which  sustain  to  each  other  such 
a  relation  as  to  render  it  expedient  to  deviate  from  the  com- 
mon practice."  ^*  "  Such  as  are  assembled  by  the  cooperation 
of  two  parties  standing  in  any  sort  against  each  other  are 
called  mutual "  councils.^^  A  council,  therefore,  is  a  mutual 
council  only  when  called  by  parties  in  controversy ;  if  called 
by  parties  in  agreement,  it  is  not  a  mutual  council. 

(d)  An  ex  parte  council  holds  an  important  place  in  our 
polity.  Punchard  calls  such  councils  "  courts  of  errors,  to 
which  the  humblest  member  of  a  Congregational  church  may 
appeal.  This  appeal,  can  not  however,  be  made  until  a  mu- 
tual reference  has  been  refused."  ^^  Cotton  Mather  calls  them 
"a  remedy  for  oppression."  When  a  member  or  members 
have  been  wronged  by  the  action  of  a  church,  they  should 
ask  the  church  to  join  in  calling  a  mutual  council.  If  the 
church  refuse  by  vote  or  neglect  to  join  in  such  council,  the 
aggrieved  may  then,  but  not  till  then,  call  an  ex  parte  coun- 
cil, to  review  the  case  and  give  advice. 

This  same  right,  as  we  shall  see  (§  199),  belongs  to  a 
church  or  minister  that  has  been  improperly  cut  off  from 
connection  by  action  of  the  conference  or  association  to 
which  either  belonged. 

The  conditions  necessary  to  the  calling  of  an  ex  parte 
council  are :  a  valid  complaint  of  wrong  actually  done  which 
calls  for  redress.  Irregularities  in  procedure  may  not  consti- 
tute a  ground  of  complaint  (§180).  Redress  of  this  wrong 
through  a  mutual  council  must  be  courteously  requested  of 
the  offending  body.  An  insolent  request  demands  refusal,  but 
such  refusal  is  not  a  ground  for  calling  an  ex  parte  council. 
But  if  the  body  refuse  a  courteous  request  for  a  mutual 
council,  the  aggrieved  has  right  to  redress  through  an  ex 
parte  council. 

"  Upham's  Ratio  Disciplinae,  §§  loS,  159. 

16  Dexter's  Congregationalism  as  seen  in  its  Literature,  527. 

"  View  of  Congregationalism,  124. 


COUNCILS   CONFOUNDED   ONE    WITH  ANOTHEB.      277 

(11)  Different  councils  are  sometimes  confounded  to  the 
peril  of  good  order.  Hence  careful  discrimination  needs  to 
be  made  and  observed  between  the  kinds  above  given,  which 
include  all.  Yet  we  need  to  note  more  particularly :  (a) 
Councils  of  advice  on  the  discipline  of  laymen  are  easily  con- 
founded with  ex  jyarfe  councils,  though  having  no  character- 
istic elements  in  common.  A  church  in  the  progress  of 
trying  a  lay  member  needs  advice,  and  calls  a  council  to 
give  it.  \^  t\ViitQO\M\Q.\\  ex  parte?  No;  it  \&  uni  parte.  One 
party  not  in  controversy  calls  it,  and  not  a  party  in  contro- 
versy, as  in  ex  parte  councils.  A  layman  undergoing  trial 
by  the  church  is  not  a  party  in  controversy,  but  a  party  on 
trial ;  he  has  no  grievance  in  the  trial,  and  can  have  none, 
until  his  case  is  issued.  And  the  church,  having  complete 
jurisdiction,  can  issue  the  case  without  calling  any  council, 
or,  if  it  choose,  it  can  call  a  council  to  advise  it  what  to  do 
in  completing  the  trial.  A  layman  on  trial  can  not  ask  the 
church  for  a  mutual  council.  Not  until  the  case  is  issued, 
and  wrong  be  done  him,  can  he  request  such  council.  A 
council  thus  called  to  aid  the  church  in  dealing  Avith  a  lay- 
man on  trial  has  none  of  the  characteristics  of  an  ex  parte 
council.  (6)  There  may  be  three  parties  in  a  church :  a 
pastor,  whose  ministerial  standing  (§  122)  is  questioned  or 
destroyed;  the  majority  of  the  church,  that  stands  by  him ; 
and  a  minority,  that  stands  opposed  to  him.  The  pastor  and 
the  majority  call  a  council  to  inquire  into  the  pastor's  stand- 
ing. What  is  such  a  council?  It  is  not  a  nnitual  council, 
because  the  parties  calling  it  are  in  agreement.  And  to  call 
it  such  is  both  misleading,  as  respects  the  whole  fraternity  of 
churches,  and  unjust,  as  respects  the  opposing  minority  in 
the  church,  which  has  l)een  ignored.  Such  a  council  is  duo 
parte,  because  called  by  two  parties  in  friendly  agreement 
and  concurrent  action,  (c)  When  a  church  walks  disorderly 
and  two  neighboring  churches,  after  due  labor,  call  a  council 
to  A\ithdraw  fellowship  from  it,  is  such  a  council  ex  parte  or 
mutual  ?     This  process  constitutes  ''  the  third  way  of  the 


278  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

communion  of  churches,"  i"  which  was  approved  by  the  ac- 
tion of  our  churches,  in  1865.^^  It  is  ex  parte.,  as  the  churches 
in  hiboring  with  the  disorderly  church  shouhl  ask  it  to  join 
with  them  in  calhng  a  mutual  council,  and  only  on  the  refusal 
of  which  request  can  the  supposed  council  properly  be  called. 
This  process,  to  make  it  successful,  as  experience  shows, 
needs  the  authority  of  the  magistrate  behind  it  to  enforce  it, 
as  in  the  early  days,  when  it  was  first  formulated.^^  It  is 
not  likely  to  be  tried  often,  if  ever  again,  as  a  more  peaceful 
and  efficient  way  has  been  opened  to  the  churches  (§§  209, 
211). 

(12)  The  mode  of  procedure  in  councils  is  usually  as  fol- 
lows :  The  oldest  pastor  reads  the  letter  missive,  calls  the 
council  to  order,  and  presides  while  a  temporary  moderator 
and  scribe  are  chosen.  The  roll  is  then  made  out.  If  a  quo- 
rum (§  194 :  6)  be  not  present,  the  council,  after  due  delay 
for  arrivals,  adjourns  to  a  fixed  time  and  place.  If  a  quorum 
be  present  the  council  should  elect  by  ballot  a  permanent 
moderator  and  scribe,  and  proceed  to  the  business  before  it. 
In  conducting  its  business,  the  ordinary  rules  of  deliberative 
bodies  are  used,^  except  where  superseded  or  modified  by 
special  rules  or  Congregational  usage.  In  all  sessions  of  the 
council  the  best  order  should  be  observed  and  the  utmost 
impartiality  shown,  as  becomes  the  churches  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  assembled  to  learn  and  do  his  will. 

(13)  The  result  of  a  council  is  the  formulated  action  of 
the  body,  both  as  to  what  is  called  "  the  findings  "  and  as  to 
the  advice  given.  This  result  is  formulated  and  adopted  in 
private  session  after  the  case  has  been  fully  heard.  If  the 
council  be  fairly  chosen  and  acts  impartially,  its  result  is  con- 
clusive as  to  facts,  usages,  and  jurisdiction.  The  civil  courts 
will  respect  it  and  will  protect  the  parties  acting  on  said 
advice,  as  in  church  trials,  and  will  enforce  the  action  of  the 


"  Camb.  Plat.  chap,  xv,  2,  3.  is  Boston  Plat,  part  ill,  chap,  ii,  11. 

"  Camb.  Plat.  xvii.  so  See  Pocket  Manual,  §§  151-161. 


FORCE   OF   USAGE.  279 

council  in  matters  coming  within  the  jurisdiction  of  said 
courts.2^ 

But  the  advice  given  in  the  result  may  be  accepted  or  re- 
jected by  either  party  or  by  both  parties,  since  it  is  only 
advice.  But  if  either  party  accept  the  advice,  the  other 
party  is  so  far  forth  holden  by  it.  If  a  council  advise  the 
dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation,  the  acceptance  of  the 
advice  by  the  pastor  or  by  the  church  society  dissolves  the 
pastoral  relation  and  stops  salary.  If  the  council  advise 
the  dissolution  of  the  pastorate  and  the  payment  of  a  sura 
of  money  to  the  pastor  by  the  church  society,  the  acceptance 
of  the  advice  by  the  pastor  closes  his  pastorate,  but  does  not 
compel  the  church  society  to  pay  the  advised  sum.  It  can  not 
be  collected  in  law,22  unless  the  society  also  accepts  the  advice. 

(14)  Councils  are  temporary  bodies  called  on  special  occa- 
sions for  specified  objects.  If  they  do  not  meet  when  called, 
or  on  the  day  to  which  they  are  adjourned,  they  can  not  meet 
at  all,  except  as  new  councils  on  new  letters  missive.  If 
during  the  proceedings  or  at  the  close  they  adjourn  without 
day,  they  are  dissolved,  and  can  not  meet  again  except  on 
new  letters  as  new  councils.  They  may  for  cause  adjourn 
to  a  fixed  time  and  place,  or  at  the  call  of  the  moderator  or 
scribe,  and  assemble  again;  but  they  are  occasional  bodies 
and  can  not  become  permanent. 

SOME  QUESTIONS   RESPECTING   COUNCILS. 

§  195.  What  is  the  force  of  usage  in  Congregationalism  ? 
The   above   rules  have  been  established  as  convenient   by 

21  Buck's  Mass.  E<;cl.  Law,  240;  Watson  vs.  Jones,  13  Wallace  (U.  S.  Supreme  Court) , 
679.  This  decision  is  so  important  that  it  is  quoted  in  full  in  Moore's  Presb.  Digest 
(1873),251-J62. 

"The  Court  always  look  behind  the  adjudication;  and  before  the  result  can  be  re- 
ceived as  evidence,  or  allowed  to  have  any  validity,  they  will  examine  the  proceedings 
to  ascertain  whether  there  was  a  suitable  wise  for  the  convocation  of  an  ecclesiastical 
council;  whether  the  members  were  properly  selected ;  whether  they  proceeded  im- 
partially in  their  investigation  ;  whether  their  adjudii-ation  was  so  formally  made  that 
it  might  be  seen  that  they  acted  with  due  regard  to  the  rights  of  the  parties,  and  that 
they  founded  their  decision  upon  groun<ls  that  will  sustain  it."  Thompson  vs.  Reho- 
both,  5  rick.  471 ;  7  I'ick.  Ka.    Quoted  in  1  Cong.  Quart.  17(>. 

:■!  Rev.  A.  II.  Qulut,  D.U.,  gives  a  valuable  discussion  on  these  points  in  1  Cong. 
Quart.  173,  seq. 


280  THE  CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

usage,  as  we  have  said ;  but  what  force  has  usapje  among 
independent  churches  ? 

Usage  is  the  common  practice ;  a  few  instances  do  not 
make  a  usage ;  but  the  common  practice  even  for  ages  can  not 
prevent  changes  without  destroying  liberty.  To  say  at  any 
time  of  any  thing  that  it  can  not  be  done  because  usage  is 
against  it,  is  to  attempt  to  bind  the  polity  of  free  churches 
in  the  swaddling  clothes  of  infancy  or  the  small  garments  of 
childhood  for  all  the  future.  Independent  churches  can  do 
any  thing,  consistent  with  the  New  Testament,  demanded  by 
the  expanding  interests  of  the  church-kingdom.  For  usage 
is  only  a  guide  to  orderly  development.  Custom  should  not 
be  set  aside  in  a  spirit  of  license,  or  without  sufficient  reason, 
and  then  only  in  lines  of  truth,  unity,  and  liberty.  The  ex- 
tension of  church  fellowship  into  stated  associations,  district, 
state,  and  national,  has  been  accomplished  against  usage,  and 
may  require  changes  in  our  customs  in  some  other  respects. 
We  need  to  guard  on  the  one  hand  against  an  antiquarian 
rigor  of  usage,  and  on  the  other  hand  against  innovating 
license,  and  make  only  such  changes  in  usages  as  the  Script- 
ures allow  and  growth  and  reason  demand. 

§  196.  Is  the  result  of  a  council  divisible  ?  It  is  mani- 
festly divisible  into  the  findings  and  the  advice ;  and  the 
advice  may  be  accepted  without  endorsing  the  findings.  So 
also  if  two  or  more  things  are  advised,  that  advice  is  divisi- 
ble, and  may  be  accepted  in  whole  or  in  part  by  either  party, 
since  it  is  simply  advice  and  not  a  mandatory  decree. 

§  197.  In  calling  a  mutual  council  has  either  party  a  right 
to  challenge  the  selections  of  the  other  party  ?  Such  a  right 
of  challenge  might  be  used  to  prevent  a  mutual  council  or  to 
pervert  it,  and  hence  justice  and  equality  deny  the  right. 
Neither  party  can  challenge  the  selections  of  the  other. 
Each  party  should  choose  fair-minded  men,  while  duly  look- 
ing after  its  own  interests.^ 

§  198.     Is  there  not  danger  of  councils  being  chosen  from 

23  Buck's  Mass.  Eccl.  Law,  219. 


LIABILITY  OF  COUNCILS   TO   PACKING.  281 

churches  and  men  of  known  bias  ?  It  is  unfortunately  too 
true,  if  not  fatally  true,  that  a  council  may  be  thus  directly 
or  indirectly  packed  to  do  a  desired  thing.  This  objection 
lies  especially  against  the  councils  which  we  have  designated 
uni  parte^  duo  varte.,  and  ex  parte.,  but  not  against  mutual 
councils,  unless  packed  by  limiting  them  to  the  churches  of 
a  specified  district.  If  a  church  wish  to  ordain  or  install 
a  man  of  questionable  orthodoxy  or  character,  and  it  itself 
be  of  easy  virtue,  it  may  select  a  council  by  careful  picking 
that  will  ordain  or  install  him.  If  one  council  refuse,  a  sec- 
ond or  third  may  be  called,  until  the  thing  desired  be  done. 
Or  if  there  be  no  other  way,  the  church  may  ordain  or  install 
him,  and  ask  the  invited  churches,  not  to  exandne  and  ad- 
vise, but  to  assist  in  the  ordination  or  installing  exercises. 
None  of  these  things  supposed  goes  beyond  the  actual  facts  in 
rare  cases.  Railroads  have  immensely  enlarged  the  area 
from  which  councils  can  be  conveniently  drawn,  and  hence 
have  increased  the  temptation.  Yet  if  a  territorial  limit  l)e 
put  upon  the  calling  of  councils,  it  may,  in  certain  cases, 
work  as  it  did  with  the  elder  Edwards,^  in  giving  a  packed 
council.  If  a  party  appeal  against  such  packed  council,  it  is 
council  against  council,  with  no  state  authority,  as  in  the  earl}- 
days  of  New  England,  where  and  when  the  system  grew  up, 
to  interpose  and  settle  the  controversy .^^ 

The  danger  to  our  polity  from  this  lia1)ility  is  very  great. 
It  impairs  the  advice  of  councils,  and  if  it  should  be  held  as 
sound  Congregationalism  tliat  an  ordaining  council,  called  for 
the  purpose,  by  laying  hands  on  a  man  puts  him  into  good 
and  regular  standing  in  the  Congregational  ministry,  from 
which  he  can  not  be  removed  but  by  a  council  duly  called  for 
that  very  purpose,  as  has  been  maintained,^  then  not  only 
purity  but  also  fellowship  is  endangered  by  such  packed 
councils.^" 

=<  Life  of  President  Edwards,  Works,  i,  36. 

2s  Hubl)urd's  History  N.  E.,  16  Mass.  Hist.  Col.  608,  609. 

2«  Result  of  Stanton  (Mich.)  Council.    The  Congrcgationalist,  May  24,  1882. 

2'  New  Euglauder,  18S3,  485-437. 


282  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

For  these  reasons,  as  for  others  (§  185),  a  mmister's  stand- 
ing (§  122)  should  be  hekl  in  an  association  of  churches, 
secured  by  vote  on  proper  credentials  (§§122,  124,  213),  to 
wliich  he  is  amenable  as  a  minister,  but  not  as  a  church 
member  (§§162:  2;  185);  and  he  should  not  be  held  or 
treated  as  in  full  connection  with  the  fraternity  of  Congre- 
gational churches  until  this  standing  has  been  secured.  If 
any  association  unjustly  refuse  to  admit  him  into  such  minis- 
terial standing  or  wrongfully  expel  him  from  it,  he  has  the 
right  of  asking  it  to  join  him  in  calling  a  mutual  covincil,  to 
consider  the  whole  case  from  the  beginning,  in  order  to  ad- 
vise his  admission  or  restoration  or  to  depose  him  from  the 
ministry.  This  method  provides  a  complete  remedy  from 
packed  councils  of  ordination  and  installation,  and  ample 
security  and  relief  if  a  minister  be  unjustly  deprived  of 
ministerial  standing,  with  full  freedom  from  centralization. 

§  199.  Can  an  association  be  a  party  in  the  calling  of 
a  council?  We  may  answer:  (1)  That  whatever  concerns 
the  churches  may  be  the  ground  of  a  council.  If  a  thing  be 
of  common  well-being,  the  churches  may  sit  in  council  upon 
it.  And  the  parties  most  affected  or  involved  are  the  ones 
that  should  invite  the  churches  to  give  their  advice  in  the 
matter.  (2)  Past  usage  can  not  prevent  needed  changes 
(§  195).  If  it  could,  then  a  living  infallible  pope  were 
better  than  an  unchangeable  custom.  Usage  is  not  superior 
to  principle  and  growth,  and  hence  it  must  change,  since 
Congregationalism  is  a  living  organism.  (3)  The  past  has 
had  similar  councils.  We  have  already  shown  how  the 
General  Court  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  which  was  also  a 
general  association  of  the  churches,  called  councils  (§  193: 
3,  e,  note).  Besides,  councils  have  been  called  by  associa- 
tions of  ministers,  by  towns,  and  by  missionary  societies.^^ 
There  is  nothing  to  hinder  the  calling  of  such  councils,  if 
there  be  a  general  need  of  them.  (4)  That  there  is  such 
need  is  easily  made  apparent.     Ministerial  standing  of  some 

28  Dexter's  Congregationalism  in  Lit.  52(;,  527;  Upliam's  Katio  Disciplinae,  §  93. 


ASSOCIATIONS  AND   COUNCILS.  283 

sort  is  now  held  largely  in  associations  of  churches  or  of 
ministers.-^  Ministers  have  been  expelled  from  them,  either 
after  a  fair  inquiry  or  without  a  fair  hearing,  possil)ly  no  notice 
having  been  given  them  ;  and  their  expulsion  is  published 
in  the  papers  to  their  great  damage.  If  tliey  are  unjustly 
dealt  with  in  such  exclusion,  how  shall  the  wrong  be  ascer- 
tained and  redressed  ?  There  is  only  one  ecclesiastical  way 
of  redress  in  our  polity  equal  and  fair  to  both  the  parties 
involved  (§  124 :  7).  If  redress  be  sought  in  the  civil  courts 
on  a  suit  for  libel  or  slander,  or  in  a  mandamus  ordering 
their  restoration  to  membership,  the  expense  is  great,  the 
result  probably  adverse,-^'^  and  our  polity  is  put  to  shame.  If 
a  church  call  a  council  on  the  case,  its  action  therein  is  indi- 
rect and  inadequate.  Each  such  case  can  1)e  covered  and 
full  redress  rendered  only  by  a  mutual  council  called  by  the 
two  parties  involved,  the  minister  suspended  or  expelled  or 
excluded  and  the  association  or  conference  doing  the  alleged 
wrong.  Neither  civil  courts  nor  other  councils  meet  the  re- 
quirements of  the  case.  Hence  justice  and  polity  alike 
demand  that  in  such  cases  at  least  associations  be  parties  in 
the  calling  of  councils.  Nothing  else  will  satisfy.  (5)  This 
change  adjusts  our  polity  to  its  expanding  conditions.  In- 
stallation, if  it  were  universal  in  the  pastorate,  could  not  be 
the  security  necessary,  because  such  councils  are  liable  to  be 
packed.  But  installation  reaches  only  a  third  of  our  pastors 
and  less  than  one  fourth  of  our  ministers.  There  is  a  de- 
mand, founded  in  ordination  itself  as  the  recognition  of  the 
ministerial  call  and  function,  that  ministers  hold  somewhere 
a  constant  accountable  standing.  Our  principles  place  that 
accountable  standing  in  associations  of  churches  (§  124: 
6).  In  some  places  it  is  held  in  associations  of  ministers.'^^ 
These  associations  can  certify  their  members  to  the  State 
Minutes  and  the  National  Year  Books ;  and  can  receive,  dis- 


"  43  Bib.  Sacra,  416-420. 

s»  Shurtleff  vs.  Stevens,  51  Vt.  501 ;  31  Am.  Reports,  704;  37  Mich.  Reports,  542. 

31  9  Cong.  Quart.  194;  51  Vt.  Repts.  501. 


284  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

luiss,  try,  and  expel  them  for  cause.  And  lest  injustice  be 
done  a  minister  by  refusal  to  receive  or  by  expulsion,  the 
right  of  appeal  should  be  had,  not  to  the  State  Association 
and  then  to  the  National  Council,  but  directly  to  the  churches, 
in  and  through  a  council  mutually  chosen,  which  may  review 
the  whole  case  and  advise  restoration  or  deposition  from  the 
ministry.  Such  a  council  is  in  harmony  with  our  principles, 
meets  a  defect  in  our  polity,  satisfies  the  necessities  arising 
from  the  wide  extension  and  rapid  increase  of  our  churches, 
and  gives  both  purity  and  liberty  without  centralization. 
It  has  received  national  recognition  (§  124:  8). 

§  200.  What  part  have  councils  of  churches  in  the  disci- 
pline of  ministers? 

(1)  In  respect  to  Christian  character  and  belief  ministers 
are  amenable  to  the  churches  of  which  they  are  members 
(§§  131:  5;  162:  2),  which  may  deal  with  them  in  that 
regard  as  with  other  members,  with  (§  191 :  10,  a,  11,  a)  or 
without  calling  in  the  advice  of  a  council.  But  while 
churches  have  this  right,  they  need  to  remember  that  those 
called  into  the  ministry  of  the  Word  have  far  higher  qualifi- 
cations (§  119 :  1-6)  than  believers  need,  to  become  church 
members,  which  qualifications  are  recognized  in  their  ordina- 
tion (§  121 :  1-6).  Their  ordination  thus  places  them  in  pecu- 
liar relations  with  all  churches,  since  it  is  not  the  recognition 
of  a  pastoral  relation  (§  121 :  4),  but  of  a  divine  call  and 
ministerial  function  (§  113).  Thereafter  they  are  recognized 
as  ministers  by  all  churches  in  connection,  whose  peace  and 
welfare  are  largely  dependent  on  the  belief  and  conduct  of 
said  ministers.  On  this  relation  is  properly  built  up  in  all 
polities  accountable  ministerial  standing  (§§  122, 123),  which 
takes  their  discipline,  as  ministers,  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
local  churches  of  which  they  are  members,  and  puts  it  into 
the  hands  of  some  association  or  council  of  churches. 

(2)  This  principle  was  definitely  affirmed  with  only  one 
dissentient  vote,  by  our  churches  in  National  Council  at  St. 
Louis,  in  1880,  in  the  passage  of  the  following  resolutions  :  — 


'•  THE  INALIENABLE  RIGHTr  285 

'■^Resolved  (1),  That  a  pro  re  nata  council  is  the  origin  of 
ministerial  standing  in  our  fellowship,  and  the  ultimate  resort 
in  all  cases  of  question. 

"  Resolved  (2),  That  the  continued  certification  of  minis- 
terial standing  may  well  be  left  to  the  ministerial  associa- 
tions or  the  organizations  of  churches. 

"  Resolved  (3),  That  the  body  of  churches  in  any  locality 
have  the  inalienable  right  of  extending  ministerial  fellowship 
to,  or  withholding  fellowship  from,  any  person  within  their 
bounds,  no  matter  what  his  relations  may  be  in  church  mem- 
bership or  ecclesiastical  affiliations,  the  proceedings  to  be 
commenced  by  any  church,  and  to  be  conducted  with  due 
regard  to  equity."^ 

This  is  a  clear  and  emphatic  enunciation  of  ministerial 
accountability,  as  ministers,  to  the  body  of  churches  in  any 
locality  where  they  may  labor,  whatever  their  relations  as 
church  members  may  be.  It  is  so  certain  and  real  a  thing 
that  it  is  "  the  inalienable  right "  of  the  churches  in  an}' 
locality  to  bring  them  to  account  for  heresy  or  misconduct. 
This  right  resides  in  the  body  of  the  churches  in  the  locality 
where  the  offence  is  committed. 

(3)  The  method  of  putting  this  inalienable  right  into 
operation  for  clearing  the  churches  of  unworthy  ministers 
is  manifestly  separable  from  the  right  itself.  The  right  may 
be  exercised  in  one  way  at  one  time  and  i)lace,  and  in 
another  way  at  another  time  and  place.  The  right  must  not 
be  confounded  with  the  method  of  exercising  it.  The 
method  indicated  in  the  resolutions  is  through  a  council 
called  for  the  purpose,  the  proceedings  to  be  commenced 
by  any  church.  This  method  is  so  defective  as  to  render 
the  right  which  is  inalienable  practically  inoperative,  (a) 
A  church  may  possibly,  in  rare  instances,  deal  with  its  own 
pastor  in  discipline,  but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  it  will  never 
begin  proceedings  against  the  pastor  of  a  neighboring 
church.     If  asked  to  do  this,  it  will  demur,     (ft)  No  better 

32  Minutes  National  Council  for  1880, 17. 


286  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

device  for  stirring  up  strife  between  two  churches  was  ever 
imagined  than  the  one  given  in  these  resolutions  of  the 
National  Council,  making  it  the  duty  of  one  church  to  begin 
proceedings  against  the  pastor  of  a  sister  church,  (c)  A 
similar  process  for  dealing  with  a  wayward  church,^  instead 
of  its  pastor,  has  been  tried  a  few  times,  stirring  up  the 
bitterest  animosity  and  utterly  failing  of  good  results.  A 
recent  attempt  closes  this  method.^  The  more  difficult  task 
of  one  church  attempting  to  discipline  by  a  council  of 
churches  another  church's  pastor  has,  we  believe,  never  been 
undertaken  ;  and  it  is  safe  to  predict  that  it  will  never  be 
undertaken.     For :  — 

(4)  This  inalienable  right  of  the  churches  in  any  locality 
to  give  or  withhold  fellowship  may  be  exercised  in  a  far 
easier  and  better  way.  It  is  by  requiring  that  ministerial 
standing  be  held  in  the  association  of  churches  of  any 
locality,  in  order  to  full  connection  in  the  Congregational 
ministry.  If  a  minister  be  not  in  such  associational  connec- 
tion, though  ordained  by  a  council  of  churches  and  a  pastor 
of  a  Congregational  church,  he  should  be  reported  in  Min- 
utes and  Year  Books  as  not  in  connection,  and  for  whom, 
consequently,  our  associated  churches  are  not  to  be  held 
accountable.  If  he  be  expelled  from  such  connection,  he 
may,  if  aggrieved,  find  redress  in  a  mutual  or  ex  parte 
council. 

(5)  Councils  have,  therefore,  an  important  part  to  act  in 
the  discipline  of  ministers.  If  a  minister  still  be  in  min- 
isterial standing  and  a  church  begin  process  against  him  as 
a  church  member,  it  should  not  complete  it  without  ask- 
ing him  to  join  in  calling  a  mutual  council,  since  he  is  more 

33  Camb.  Plat.  XV,  2  [3J. 

*•  The  Church  of  the  Pilgrims  and  the  Clinton  Avenue  Congregational  Church, 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  united  in  beginning  process  against  the  Plymouth  Church,  Brooklyn, 
in  1873,  which  resulted  in  a  large  council  called  by  them  in  1S74.  This  council  accom- 
plislied  nothing.  Other  attempts  were  made  or  suggested,  when  the  Plymouth  Church 
called  a  council,  in  1876,  which  closed  the  case.  This  conspicuous  failure  of  "  the  third 
way"  will  prevent  any  church  from  beginning  proceedings  against  tlie  pastor  of 
another  church  through  a  council  of  churches. 


DEPOSITION  FROM   THE  MINISTRY.  287 

than  a  church  member,  and  his  wider  relations  as  a  minister 
require  this  wider  treatment  of  his  case.  If  any  church 
should  begin  process  against  him  as  a  minister,  it  should  ask 
him  to  join  in  a  mutual  council  to  try  the  case.  If  an  asso- 
ciation expel  him  or  refuse  to  admit  him,  he  should  ask  the 
association  to  join  in  calling  a  mutual  council,  to  review  the 
case.  If  in  any  case  a  mutual  council  be  refused,  an  ex  parte 
council  may  be  called.  Thus  in  every  form  of  process  the 
ultimate  resort  is  to  a  pro  re  nata  council  of  churches. 

So  if  a  church  be  unjustly  excluded  or  expelled  from  an 
association,  it  may,  on  the  same  principle  and  inalienable 
rioht,  ask  the  association  for  a  mutual  council,  and  that  be- 
ing unjustly  denied,  may  call  an  ex  parte  council  (§  194  :  10). 

S  201.  May  a  council  of  churches  depose  from  the  minis- 
try ?  In  order  to  answer  this  question,  we  must  refer  back 
to  the  ministerial  function  and  ordination. 

(1)  The  ministerial  function  is  far  more  than  the  pastoral 
relation,  as  we  have  shown  (§  113).  It  is  not  something 
conferred  by  man,  and  it  can  not,  therefore,  be  taken  away 

by  man. 

(2)  Ordination  is  the  ecclesiastical  recognition  of  the 
ministerial  function  and  call  (§  121  :  1).  If  we  make  the 
ministerial  function  identical  with  the  pastoral  relation,  then 
ordination  becomes  only  inauguration,  and  removal  from 
office  is  deposition  from  the  ministry.  Any  church  may 
then  depose  its  pastor.  This  was  the  case  in  the  pastoral 
theory  of  the  ministry,  held  for  a  time  by  our  churches,  but 
soon  abandoned  as  untenable.  While  this  theory  was  held, 
deposition  was  strictly  removal  from  office,  ])y  which  the 
pastor  was  made  a  layman  again ;  but  this  theory  of  the 
ministry  was  so  narrow  that  writers  found  great  difficulty  in 
keeping  within  it  so  as  to  be  consistent  in  their  statements. 

(3)  If  ordination  were  a  conferring  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
the  imprinting  of  a  character,  the  imparting  by  the  laying  on 
of  hands  of  a  special  grace,  then  deposition,  whether  by  a 
church  or  by  a  council  of  churches,  would  be  the  withdrawal 


288  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  erasure  of  the  character,  and  the 
removal  of  the  grace.  But  our  churches  have  never  be- 
lieved in  such  ordination  and  deposition. 

(4)  Hence,  as  ordination  is  the  recognition  by  prayer  and 
the  imposition  of  liands  of  the  qualifications,  the  call,  and 
the  function  of  a  minister,  as  conferred  by  Christ,  so  the 
deposition  of  a  man  from  the  ministry  is  the  withdrawal  of 
such  ecclesiastical  recognition  (§  121  :  3,  4)  when  once 
given.  And  this  should  be  done  by  a  council  of  churches, 
if  the  recognition  in  ordination  was  so  given,  which  has  of 
late  years  been  the  case.     But 

§  202.  May  not  councils  give  place  to  associations  of 
churches  in  ordaining  and  deposing  ministers  ? 

(1)  There  is  nothing  in  the  nature  of  the  case  to  prevent 
this  change.  The  churches  in  any  locality  may,  in  the  exer- 
cise of  their  inalienable  right,  extend  fellowship  to  a  man  in 
ordination  or  withhold  it  from  him  in  deposition  through 
an  association  that  meets  statedly,  as  well  as  through  a  coun- 
cil that  meets  occasionally.  The  same  churches  do  it  in 
either  case,  and  a  council  has  no  greater  warrant  than  an 
association,  if  as  good. 

(2)  There  are  reasons  why  an  association  can  ordain  and 
depose  better  than  a  council  of  churches.  These  reasons 
are  :  (a)  The  association  embraces  the  churches  in  any 
locality,  while  the  council  may  include  only  a  part  of  them, 
or  go  entirely  beyond  their  number.  Thus  the  inalienable 
right  of  the  churches  in  any  locality  to  extend  or  withhold 
fellowship  finds  a  far  safer  expression  in  associations  than  in 
councils.  Indeed,  councils  sometimes  not  only  ignore  this 
right,  but  contemn  and  defy  it.  (h~)  If  an  association  make 
a  mistake  in  ordination  or  deposition,  it  can  correct  it,  and 
both  will  be  recorded  in  the  same  journal  for  preservation 
and  inspection  —  the  same  body  correcting  its  own  mistake. 
But  if  a  council,  doing  the  same  things,  commit  a  blunder, 
it  can  not  after  adjournment  correct  it.  Another  council 
must  be   called  to  do  that.      So  it  is  one  council  ag'ainst 


COUNCILS    VERSUS  ASSOCIATIOXS.  289 

another  council.  Besides,  the  results  of  both  councils,  being 
nowhere  recorded,  unless  by  the  churches  calling  them,  are 
soon  lost  altogether,  or  no  one  knows  where  to  find  them. 
True,  in  some  states  efforts  are  made  to  preserve  them,  but 
probably  in  no  state  are  the  collections  complete,  while  in 
many  states  no  effort  is  made  to  preserve  them,  (c)  The 
independence  of  the  churches  is  not  interfered  with  by 
either  method.  Each  church  can  have  wliom  it  pleases  as 
pastor.  If  the  association  will  not  ordain  whom  the  church 
wants,  the  church  is  in  the  same  condition  precisely  as  if  the 
same  churches  in  council  had  refused  to  ordain  him.  If  the 
church,  to  ordain  a  man  luider  such  circumstances,  go  be- 
yond the  boundary  of  the  association  for  a  council,  or  pick 
a  council  from  within  the  association,  it  defies  the  inaliena- 
ble right  of  those  churches  in  the  locality,  which  can  not  be 
held  to  be  a  gain  for  councils.  Instead,  it  is  better  for  the 
church  to  fall  back  upon  its  own  inalienable  right  to  elect 
and  inaugurate  its  own  officers  by  ordination,  remembering 
that  it  may  itself  be  cut  off  in  consequence  from  the  associa- 
tion and  all  church  fellowship  for  violation  of  its  covenant 
with  the  cliurches  in  connection.  (rZ)  In  case  of  ordination 
by  the  association  of  churches,  expulsion  after  trial  by  a 
similar  body  would  be  deposition  from  the  ministry.  It 
would  be  the  withdrawal  of  recognition  by  the  churches  of 
the  man's  call  and  function  as  a  minister,  from  which  action, 
as  we  have  seen  (§  200:  5),  appeal  may  be  taken  to  a 
mutual  council.  (<?)  The  expense  in  time  and  money  of 
councils  of  ordination  and  deposition,  when  the  churches 
have  stated  meetings  in  associations,  becomes  a  reason  why 
the  association  should  do  the  work,  if  consistent  with  princi- 
ple. This  reason  is  apparent  in  the  western  states  and 
territories. 

(3)  The  objections  to  ordination  and  deposition  by  asso- 
ciations do  not,  in  our  judgment,  outweigh  the  reasons  in 
favor  of  such  action.  If  it  be  said  that  it  be  centralizing 
and  Presl)yteriani/Jng,  the  denial  is  ample,  and  will  be  given 
hereafter  (§§  210,  249). 


290  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

§  203.  May  not  councils  of  installation  give  place  to  coun- 
cils of  recognition  ?  Installation  is  re-ordination,  and  came 
into  vogue  j)artly  in  consequence  of  the  pastoral  theory  of 
the  ministry,  which  made  a  pastor  a  layman  when  out  of 
office,  and  required  re-ordination  when  taking  another  church, 
and  partly  as  a  guard  to  purity.  It  has  two  elements,  a  legal 
and  an  ecclesiastical  element.  Installation  in  some  states 
legally  binds  a  church  society  in  a  contract  with  its  pastor 
which  can  be  dissolved  only  in  one  of  the  following  four 
ways :  (1)  by  death ;  (2)  by  mutual  consent ;  (3)  by  a 
mutual  council ;  and  (4)  by  an  ex  parte  council,  a  mutual 
council  having  been  refused.®'  This  legal  element  is  easily 
separable  from  the  ecclesiastical  element  as  foreign,  unneces- 
sary, and  disturbing ;  it  can  be  dropped  and  leave  the  eccle- 
siastical in  full  force.  But  if  a  council  be  necessary  to 
dismiss  an  installed  pastor  in  an  ecclesiastical  sense,  then 
installation  should  give  place  to  recognition  ;  for  when  a 
pastor's  resignation  has  been  accepted,  there  is  nothing  for  a 
council  of  dismissal  to  do  but  to  advise  what  has  been 
already  done  and  to  give  papers  that  may  serve  as  creden- 
tials. If  councils  of  installation  are  to  be  continued,  they 
should  drop  their  legal  element  and  require  no  dismissing 
council,  except  in  cases  of  trouble  or  charges  of  heresy 
or  immorality ;  that  is,  they  should  become  councils  of 
recognition. 

§  204.  Are  councils  adequate  safeguards  of  purity  ?  It 
was  said  in  the  report  of  a  committee  made  to  the  National 
Council,  in  1883,  that  "  the  churches  of  the  East  have  de- 
pended entirely  upon  the  action  of  councils  for  ordination 
and  installation  as  the  safeguards  of  the  purity  of  the  minis- 
try." -36 

(1)  Councils  of  installation  reach  but  a  fraction  of  the 
ministry  in  active  pastoral  work.  In  1886  the  installed 
pastors  in  New  England  were  only  fifty-one  per  cent, 
of     those    in    pastoral    work,    and    only    thirty-seven    per 

36  Buck's  Mass.  Eccl.  Law,  212,  213.  so  Minutes,  162. 


INADEQUACY  AND  DECADENCE   OF  COUNCILS.      291 

cent,  of  all  Congregational  ministers ;  while  out  of  New 
England  in  the  United  States,  installation  reaches  onl}'  twenty 
j)er  cent,  of  our  pastors,  and  fourteen  ])er  cent,  of  all 
the  ministers.'^"  That  is,  in  New  England  a  bare  majority  of 
our  churches,  and  in  the  rest  of  the  country  only  one  fifth  of 
them,  are  protected  by  the  safeguard  of  installation.  In 
1857,  when  the  statistics  of  oru*  churches  were  first  published, 
seventy-three  per  cent,  of  our  pastors  in  New  England  were 
installed,  and  fifty-four  per  cent,  of  all  our  ministers  there. 
Such  being  the  facts,  the  churches  there  can  not  much  longer 
depend  entirely  on  councils  of  ordination  and  installation  for 
safeguards  of  purity.  Indeed,  wisdom  demands  that  those 
states  begin  finding  some  better  safeguard,  or  soon  their 
churches  will  be  defenceless. 

(2)  This  decadence  in  installations  has  come  about  in  the 
face  of  the  most  persistent  efforts  to  encourage  the  churches 
to  call  such  councils.  As  a  means  to  this  end  reports  in  our 
Year  Books  have  divided  pastors  into  two  classes,  "  pastors  " 
and  "acting  pastors,"  and  the  Boston  Council,  in  1865,  de- 
clared installation  necessary  to  the  recognition  of  a  preacher 
as  a  pastor.^  It  can  hardly  be  hoped  that  since  the  churches 
have  stated  fellowship  in  their  associations,  they  will  ever 
return  to  councils  in  addition  as  safeguards  of  purity ;  since 
a  comprehensive,  inexpensive,  normal,  and  adequate  safe- 
guard is  found  in  ministerial  standing  in  associations  of 
churches. 

(3)  No  safeguard  which  reaches  onl}-  a  small  proportion 
of  ministers  and  churches,  and  is  failing  in  spit(i  of  every 

•'*■  During  the  last  thirty  years  strenuous  eflbrts  have  been  niaile  in  papers,  associa- 
tions, and  councils  to  induc^e  the  cliurclies  to  install  their  pastors.  The  result  is  indi- 
cated in  the  following  tal)le,  in  the  making  of  which  the  "  unspecified  "  for  the  j-ears 
1857  and  1867  are  divided  one  third  to  "  pastors,"  ami  two  thirds  to  "  acting  pastors." 

Per  cent,  of  the  installed  : 


fear. 

Pastors. 

Acting 

Pastors. 

Ministers. 

Of 

Pastors. 

Of  Ministers. 

1857 

1,0-25 

706 

2,.3.50 

59.2 

40.5 

1867 

887 

1,111 

2,879 

44.4 

30.8 

1877 

889 

1,474 

3,406 

39.0 

26.1 

1885 

954 

1,910 

4,043 

33.3 

23.6 

This  shows  a  steady  and  great  relative  decline  in  installations. 
^  Boston  Plat,  part  iii,  chap,  ii,  7  [2]. 


292  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

device  to  sustain  it,  can  be  adequate,  and  no  such  safeguard 
should  be  relied  on  any  longer  than  is  needful  for  adjustment 
to  a  better  way.  The  ease  with  which  councils  can  be  packed, 
their  unfitness  for  careful  inquiry  on  the  eve  of  installations, 
their  tendency  to  stir  up  strife  by  hasty  action,  tlie  fact  that 
if  one  council  fail  to  do  the  will  of  a  church  another  can  be 
called  to  do  it,  their  narrow  scope,  their  expense  in  coun- 
tries  with  few  churches,  their   politico-ecclesiastical  origin, 

—  these  and  some  other  things  render  it  evident  that  councils, 
except  for  adjustment  of  troubles  and  the  discipline  of  min- 
isters or  churches,  will  ultimately  cease. 

CHURCH   FELLOWSHIP    IN    MINISTERIAL   ASSOCIATIONS. 

§  205.  Ministerial  associations  only  indirectly  express  the 
fellowship  of  the  churches  ;  but  as  they  stand  between  occa- 
sional councils  and  stated  associations  of  the  churches,  for 
which  they  prepared  the  way  in  this  country,  we  call  atten- 
tion to  them. 

(1)  When  the  ministers  within  a  small  or  large  district 
organize  into  an  association  with  or  without  a  written  consti- 
tution or  rules  or  covenant,  the  body  so  formed  is  a  ministerial 
association. 

(2)  Such  associations  sprang  out  of  the  unity  of  the 
church-kingdom  conjoined  with  the  circumstances  in  which 
our  polity  developed  in  this  country.  They  originated  in 
the  conflict  of  the  law  of  fellowship  with  the  fears  of  cen- 
tralization, natural  in  those  separating  from  persecuting 
state  establishments.  The  exact  date  of  their  formation  is 
unknown.     There  is  notice  of  one  as  early  as  1633.^^     These 

39  <■  We  find  the  following  in  the  journal  of  Governor  Winthrop,  uniier  the  early  date 
of  1633  :  '  The  ministers  in  the  Bay  and  Saugiis  did  meet  once  a  fortnight  at  one  of  their 
houses  by  course,  where  some  question  of  moment  was  debated.'  "  —  Hist.  Essex  North 
Ass'n  of  Mass.,  by  Rev.  S.  J.  Spauldiug,  9.  "In  1641-1642  Letchford,  in  his  Plain 
Dealing,  says:  '  Of  late,  divers  of  the  ministers  have  had  set  meetings  to  order  church 
matters;  whereby  it  is  conceived  they  bend  toward  Presbyterian  rule.'  In  1643 
there  was  an  assembly  called  at' Cambridge  of  all  the  pastors  in  the  country,  some 
fifty  in  all.  'The  principle  occasion  '  of  which,  says  Winthrop,  '  was  because  some  of 
the  elders  were  about  to  set  up  some  things  according  to  the  presbytery,  as  of  New- 
bury, etc'    The  assembly  concluded  against  some  parts  of  the  presbyterial  way." 

—  Ibid.  10. 


I 


MINISTERIAL  ASSOCIATIONS.  293 

meetings  of  ministers  were,  however,  soon  discontinued, 
through  the  fear,  on  the  part  of  the  cliurches,  of  ministerial 
power.  The  first  whose  existence  can  be  traced  in  a  regu- 
hirly  organized  form  probably  embraced  the  ministers  in  and 
around  Boston,  and  wliose  earliest  recorded  date  is  1G55. 
The  synod  of  Cambridge  met  in  1»;47,  and  issued  in  1048 
a  platform  of  church  discipline  wliich  allayed  the  fears  of 
the  churches  lest  a  presbytery  should  be  set  up  over  them. 
Thereafter  ministerial  associations  flourished.'"^ 

(3)  The  object  of  mhiisterial  associations  was  at  first  and 
chiefly  professional,  and  not  ecclesiastical.  Rev.  Thomas 
Shepard,  1672,  described  their  object  in  these  words: 
"Nothing  that  was  difficult  or  questionable  or  weighty  or 
new,  or  that  had  an  influence  upon  the  whole,  but  they  were 
wont  to  consult  with  one  another."  ^i  The  object  is  thus 
stated  in  the  oldest  constitution  extant,  we  believe :  "  For 
promoting  the  gospel  and  our  mutual  assistance  and  further- 
ance in  that  great  work";  "yet  the  members  were  bound 
*to  submit  to  the  counsel,  reproofs,  and  censures  of  the 
brethren  so  associated  and  assembled  in  all  things  in  the 
Lord.'  "  42  This  rule  implies  that  said  association  was  more 
than  a  professional  club. 

(4)  Ministerial  standing  came  to  be  held  in  some  of  these 
associations.  Tlie  General  Association  of  Connecticut,  in 
1812,  appointed  a  committee  to  consider  the  question  of  the 
ecclesiastical  standing  of  ministers  dismissed  from  churches, 
who  were  members  of  associations,  and  report.  That  com- 
mittee reported,  in  1818,  declaring  that  a  dismissed  minister 
is  amenable  to  the  association  to  which  he  belonged,  after 
dismissal  from  a  church  the  same  as  before.  This  report  was 
adopted.43      This  confirms  the  implication  above  expressed, 

♦oiCong.  Quart.  203,  seq.  Yet  John  Wise  sai.l,  In  1710:  "About  thirty  years  ago. 
more  or  less,  there  was  no  appearance  of  the  associaiiong  of  pastors  in  these  colonies' 
and  in  some  parts  and  places  there  is  none  yet."    Hist.  Essex  North  Ass'n,  Mass.  10. 

"2  Cong.  Quart. -204. 

«  n)id.205.  They  were  l)ound  also  not  to  "  relinquish  the  association,  nor  forsake 
the  appointed  meetings,  without  giving  sullicient  reason  for  the  same." 

*^  Contrib.  Eccl.  Hist.  Ct.  32S;  9  Cong.  Quart.  YA. 


294  THE   CHUECH- KINGDOM. 

and  is  an  important  action,  as  it  is  the  first  instance  we  have 
seen  of  asserted  responsible  ministerial  membership  in  asso- 
ciations. It  is  in  line  with  the  subsequent  decision  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Vermont,  which  held  that  membership  in 
some  ministerial  association,  where  they  exist,  is  "  considered 
among  the  churches  as  evidence  of  good  ministerial  stand- 
ing." ^4  Such  associations  receive  members  on  credentials 
(§  213),  give  credentials  on  dismissal,  try  and  expel  them 
for  cause. 

Rev.  John  Mitchell  said,  in  1838 :  "  But  though  an  asso- 
ciation is  not  competent  to  depose  a  minister  in  form,  it  may 
do  that  which  is  virtually  equivalent.  It  may  declare  him 
to  have  forfeited  his  standing  with  his  brethren,  and  publish 
him  as  unworthy  of  the  public  confidence."  ^^  But  no  asso- 
ciation can  do  this  justly  without  a  careful  examination  into 
the  case. 

It  is  contrary  to  the  principles  of  Congregationalism  for 
ministerial  standing  (§  124 :  5)  to  be  held  in  ministerial 
bodies,  thus  separating  it  from  the  churches.'^  Hence  the 
practice  above  referred  to  is  dangerous,  and  ministerial 
standing  should  be  held  only  in  associations  of  churches 
(§  124:  6). 

(5)  Ministerial  associations  are  temporary  in  our  polity. 
They  were  the  stepping-stones  in  this  country  between  the 
independency  that  relied  on  the  state  ■*'  and  associations  of 
independent  churches.  They  secure  the  fellowship  of  the 
clergy,  not  of  the  churches,  except  through  their  pastors. 
So  far  as  pastors  acting  in  concerted  cooperation  could  exer- 
cise authority  over  churches  of  our  order,  ministerial  associa- 
tions gave  opportunity  for  ministerial  rule,  instead  of  prelati- 
cal.  And  this  opportunity  they  did  not  fail,  occasional!}'-,  to 
improve,  and  try  to  exercise  authority.*^  The  churches, 
however,  are  now  coming  more  and  more  to  the  front,  until 

"  Shurtlefif  vs.  Stevens,  51  Vt.  501 ;  31  Am.  Repts.  704. 

45  Guide  to  Princip.  and  Prac.  Cong.  Chhs.  N.  E.  234. 

*<■'  Pocket  Manual,  §§  80,  83;  New  Englander  (1883),  477-483. 

"  Camb.  Plat.  xvii.  *»  7  Cong.  Quarterly,  35,  seq. 


MINISTERIAL  ASSOCIATIONS.  295 

all  (Hir  churches,  in  this  and  other  lands,  are  gathered  into 
fellowship  through  church  associations,'*'^  supplanting  ministe- 
rial associations. 

But  it  was  not  until  the  latter  bodies  had  long  existed  in 
this  country  without  exhibiting  any  natural  and  fatal  ten- 
dency to  centralization,  or  in  any  way  endangering  the  liber- 
ties of  the  churches,  that  the  churches  ventured  to  enter 
upon  a  fuller,  more  normal  and  comprehensive  form  of  fellow- 
ship in  associations  of  their  own  l)y  pastors  and  delegates, 
which  is  destined  to  supplant  ministerial  associations  and 
abide  as  the  permanent  form. 

CHURCH   FELLOWSHIP   IN   ASSOCIATIONS   OF   CHURCHES. 

§  206.  An  association  of  churches  is  the  stated  meeting 
of  churches  by  pastors  and  delegates,  and  of  such  other 
ministers  as  may  be  members  of  it,  under  a  constitution  or 
covenant,  expressed  or  understood,  limiting  its  membership, 
objects,  and  functions.  They  are  named  differently  in  differ- 
ent places.  An  examination  of  the  local  associations  reveals 
the  general  name  conference  in  this  country,  while  elsewhere 
they  are  called  with  rare,  if  any,  exceptions  unions  or  asso- 
ciations. The  state  bodies  are  generally  called  associations. 
The  national  bodies  are  called  National  Council  in  the 
United  States,  and  Unions  elsewhere.  An  ecumenical 
gathering  has  not  yet  been  held,  and  so  lias  not  been 
named. 

§  207.  The  importance  of  church  associations  can  not  be 
over-estimated.  They  are  the  normal  expression  of  church 
fellowship  without  the  narrow  limitations  of  councils.  Hence 
they  must  increase  while  councils  and  ministerial  associations 
must  decrease.  They  bind  all  our  churches  together  in  free 
and  equal  fellowship  and  labor,  without  damage  to  their 
liberties.  Each  church,  without  dictation,  inspection,  or 
review,  may  still  manage  its  own  affairs,  conducting  all  busi- 
ness pertaining  to  itself,  and  at  the  same  time  hold  stated 

"  43  Bib.  Sacra,  417-1'20. 


296  THE  CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

fellowship  with  all  other  churches  and  cooperate  with  them 
in  all  common  concerns,  as  educational,  benevolent,  and  mis- 
sionary work.  In  these  church  associations  the  greatest 
liberty  and  the  widest  unity  are  combined,  -with  a  possible 
comprehension  equal  to  the  church-kingdom  on  earth  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ — a  solution  which  all  churches  for 
eighteen  centuries  have  been  seeking. 

§  208.  The  origin  of  church  associations  is  not  found  in 
the  council  held  at  Jerusalem  in  the  times  of  the  apostles 
(Acts  15 :  1-29),  for  those  churches  probably  never  met  in 
council  again.  Yet  that  one  act  of  conference  for  the  com- 
mon good  is  in  part  the  warrant  for  stated  meetings  of  the 
churches.  The  full  warrant  is  found  in  the  unity  of  the 
church-kingdom,  the  law  of  fellowship,  and  the  sacerdotal 
prayer  of  Christ  (John  17 :  20-23).  The  churches  in  the 
early  centuries  had  their  informal  synods,  l)eginning  in  the 
second  century.  "  Some  prominent  and  influential  bishop 
invited  a  few  neighboring  communities  to  confer  with  his 
own."  "Not  even  the  resolutions  of  the  conference  were 
binding  on  the  dissentient  minority  of  its  members."  ^ 
"But  no  sooner  had  Christianity  been  recognized  by  the 
state  than  such  conferences  tended  to  multiply,  to  become 
not  occasional,  but  ordinary,  and  to  pass  resolutions  which 
were  regarded  as  binding  upon  the  churches  within  the  dis- 
trict from  which  representatives  had  come,  and  the  accept- 
ance of  which  was  resrarded  as  a  condition  of  intercommunion 
with  the  churches  of  other  provinces."  ^^  It  was  the  state, 
not  fellowship,  that  gave  such  associations  authority. 

(1)  In  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony,  for  many  years,  the 
General  Court  was  a  stated  ecclesiastical  body  as  well  as  a 
legislative  assembly.  "It  was  but  the  whole  body  of  the 
church  legislating  for  its  parts ;  and  this,  with  the  important 
peculiarity  that  all  the  legislators  by  whom  the  church 
exercised  its  supreme  power  \^ere  of  the  laity.  The  system 
had  no  element  of  resemblance  to  prelacy  or  presbytery.     It 

BO  Hatch's  Org.  Early  Chhs.  166, 167.  "  Ibid.  168. 


CHURCH  ASSOCIATIONS.  297 

was  pure  democracy  installed  in  the  ecclesiastical  govern- 
ment." ^2  This  court  was  clothed  with  authority  civil  and 
ecclesiastical,^^  which  it  freely  exercised."^  Our  polity  took 
its  form  under  this  ecclesiastical  coercion,  and  when  a  sepa- 
ration occurred  between  tlie  Church  and  the  State,  it  was 
left  crippled  and  defenceless  in  some  important  particulars.^ 
In  1641  Massachusetts  Colony  ad(^pted  a  code  of  laws, 
giving  permission  both  for  ministerial  associations  and  for 
church  associations.  "  It  shall  be  lawful  for  the  ministers 
and  elders  of  the  churches  near  adjoining  together,  with  any 
other  of  the  brethren,  with  the  consent  of  the  churches,  to 
assemble  by  course  in  each  several  church,"  "•  once  in  every 
month  of  the  year,"  and  after  a  sermon  "  the  rest  of  the  day 
may  be  spent  in  public  Christian  conference  about  the  dis- 
cussing and  resolving  of  any  such  doubts  and  cases  of  con- 
science, concerning  matters  of  doctrine  or  worship  or  govern- 
ment of  tlie  church,  as  shall  be  propounded,"  etc.^  The 
same  General  Court,  in  1662,  in  ordering  a  synod  to  be  held, 
ordered  it  to  settle,  among  other  questions,  this:  "Whether, 
according  to  the  Word  of  God,  there  ought  to  be  a  consocia- 
tion of  churches,  and  what  should  be  the  manner  of  it?" 
"  This  .  .  .  question  was,  unfortunately,  returned  to  the  sec- 
retary [of  state]  by  the  elders."  5"  The  elders  stifled  this 
attempt  of  the  laymen  for  church  association.  Had  they 
answered,  as  did  the  Saybrook  synod  of  Connecticut,  in  1708, 
they  might  have  combined,  as  they  desired,  "  our  churches 
in  such  a  bundle  of  arrows  as  might  not  be  easily  broken ;  "  ^ 
and  that  too  without  the  Presbyterian  element  of  the  Say- 
brook  Platform,  or  any  foreign  element  whatever. 

(2)  The  earliest  associations  of  churches  in  America,  of 
our  order,  are,  we  believe,  the  following :  The  Susquehannah 
Association,    1803;^    and    the    Black    River    Association, 

«2  Palfrey's  Hist.  Kew  Eng.  ii,  40.  c3  Camb.  Plat.  xvil. 

^  New  Englaiider,  ISS-i,  468-473.  05  iiji,i.  473-470. 

M  Felt's  Eccl.  Hist.  New  Eng.  i,  440.  07  col.  Records  of  Mass.  iv.  part  il,  38. 

««  Felt's  Eccl.  Hist.  New  Eug.  11,  296. 

«9  16  Cong.  Quart.  285,  286. 


298  THE   CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

1808 ;  60  both  of  New  York.  The  Brookfielcl  Ministerial  As- 
sociation, Mass.,  in  1820,  invited  the  churches  severally  to 
send  a  lay  delegate  annually  to  its  June  meetings.  The 
churches  have  done  so  since  1821  .^^  The  York  County  Con- 
ference, Maine,  was  organized  with  lay  delegates  in  1822.^ 
Others  soon  followed. 

Of  the  state  bodies,  the  Convention  of  Vermont,  in  1817, 
appointed  a  committee  to  investigate  the  question  of  admit- 
ting lay  delegates,  which  reported  the  next  year  no  decisive 
recommendation.  But  in  1822  the  constitution  of  the  body 
was  so  altered  as  to  admit  laymen.  The  Conference  of 
Rhode  Island  bears  on  its  roll  for  1823  lay  delegates.  The 
General  Conference  of  Maine  was  organized  in  1826,  and 
admitted  laymen,  followed  by  others. 

There  seems  to  have  been  a  general  and  spontaneous 
movement  for  the  stated  fellowship  of  churches  in  the  first 
quarter  of  this  century.  And  those  first  formed  had  in 
themselves  the  potency  and  promise  of  state,  national,  and 
ecumenical  associations  of  churches. 

(3)  We  have  never  fully  inquired  into  the  origin  of  this 
system  in  England  and  her  colonies.  At  a  conference  held 
in  Jacob's  Church,  in  1616,  it  was  declared :  "  We  acknowl- 
edge .  .  .  that  on  occasion  there  ought  to  be,  on  earth, 
a  consociation  of  congregations  or  churches  .  .  .  but  not 
a  subordination,"  etc.^^  But  the  oldest  existing  district  asso- 
ciation of  churches  in  England  was  formed  in  1781 ;  that  in 
Ireland,  in  1829;  that  in  Scotland,  in  1872. 

§  209.  The  membership  and  functions  of  church  associa- 
tions are  defined  in  the  articles  of  agreement  or  covenant  on 
which  they  are  formed.  Each  church  is  entitled  to  the  same 
number  of  representatives,  because  it  is  the  church  as  such, 
and  not  its  membership,  that  constitutes  the  ground  and  law 
of  fellowship.  A  rule  regulating  the  number  of  delegates 
by  the  size  of  the  church  in  whole  or  in  part,  we  have  else- 

«»  20  Cong.  Quart.  577,  578.  «!  20  Cong.  Quart.  535. 

62  6  Cong.  Quart.  187,  seq.  «3  Hanbury's  Memorials,  i,  295. 


CHUBCH  ASSOCIATIONS   CONTROL   FELLOWSHIP.    299 

where  denonniiated  a  dangerous  principle  in  Congregational 
fellowship.^'^  These  associations  manifest  forth  the  individu- 
ality of  the  churches  by  giving  the  same  membership  in  them 
to  a  small  church  as  to  a  large,  and  at  the  same  time  show 
forth  their  unity  in  essential  life,  belief,  and  labor.  They 
may  do  this  in  enlarging  circles,  until  they  attain  ecumenical 
comprehension.  They  are  not  confined  to  one  specilied  ob- 
ject, as  councils  are,  but  can  embrace  whatever  business  con- 
cerns the  churches  in  common,  while  guarding  jealously  the 
rights  and  liberties  of  each  as  an  independent  body  under 
Christ  Jesus. 

It  is  held  as  "  an  inalienable  right  of  the  churches  in  any 
locality  "  to  extend  fellowship  to,  or  withhold  it  from,  any 
minister  or  church  (§  200  :  2).  This  can  be  done  as  safely, 
more  economically  and  certainly  through  stated  associations 
than  through  occasional  councils  (§  202 :  2).  If  this  be  the 
right  of  the  whole  body  of  churches  in  any  locality,  it  is  an 
infringement  of  this  right  for  a  church  to  select  a  council 
either  from  abroad  or  from  a  part  of  the  neighboring 
churches.  Yet  in  calling  many  councils  there  is  this  in- 
fringement. Members  may  be  gathered  from  Boston  to 
Kansas  into  a  council  which  shall  in  fact  defy  the  churches 
in  the  vicinity.  Hence,  as  we  have  shown  (§  202  :  1-3),  or- 
dination, ministerial  discipline,  and  deposition  (§  201 :  1-4) 
may  be  wisely  committed  to  churches  in  association  ;  rather, 
may  be  wisely  assumed  by  them.  Then  the  churches  in  the 
locality  would  be,  and  would  be  held  to  be,  responsible  for  the 
standing  of  ministers  and  churches  therein.  If  any  wrong 
be  done,  a  mutual  council  may  be  called. 

This  is  not  a  new  doctrine ;  for  "  some  of  the  Baptist 
churches  have  an  association  with  only  advisory  jurisdiction 
to  which  an  appeal  is  made,  leaving  each  congregation  inde- 
pendent and  supreme ;  "  *^^  and  their  polity  is  like  ours.     An 

c*  New  Englander,  1878,  514. 

•""  Hon.  Wm.  Lawrence  in  12  Am.  Law  Reg.N.  S.  332,  note;  Baptist  Oh.  vs.  Witlierell, 
3  Paige,  296. 


300  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

association  logically  should  extend  or  withhold  fellowship,  as 
being  in  the  locality  and  most  concerned  in  the  matter. 
This  was  seen  by  our  ecclesiastical  fathers,  who  would  not 
ordain  a  minister  or  form  a  church  without  the  consent  or 
approval  of  neighboring  churches. 

The  same  principle  or  inalienable  right  that  applies  to  the 
extending  or  withholding  of  fellowship  as  respects  minis- 
ters ^  applies  also  to  churches  that  desire  to  join  our  church 
associations. 

§  210.  There  is  no  authority  over  churches  involved  in 
such  action  by  church  associations.  These  associations  rec- 
ognize the  right  of  each  church  to  administer  its  own  affairs, 
free  from  external  control  or  inspection,  even  to  the  calling 
and  ordaining  and  installing  of  its  pastor ;  and  they  by  con- 
stitutional limitations  refuse,  in  any  case,  to  assume  or  exer- 
cise legislative  power  or  juridical  authorit}'  over  churches  or 
ministers,  or  to  become  a  court  of  appeal.  All  this  should 
be  stoutly  maintained. 

But  in  ordaining  a  man  the  association  does  not  put  him 
into  any  church  or  pulpit,  as  ordination  once  meant  in  early 
New  England,^"  but  simply  recognizes  his  call  by  Christ,  and 
his  ministerial  qualifications  and  function.  No  church  need 
call  him  in  consequence.  His  ordination  does  not  in  the 
least  infringe  upon  the  rights  and  liberties  of  the  churches. 
If  any  church  prefer  a  layman,  it  can  call  him  to  its  pastor- 
ate and  ask  the  association  to  ordain  him,  as  it  now  asks 
a  council  to  do  the  same ;  and  in  either  case  it  is  the  call 
and  its  acceptance  that  constitutes  him  a  pastor,  and  not  his 
ordination  or  even  his  installation.  If  the  association  refuse 
to  ordain  him,  as  a  council  might,  the  church  may  itself,  in 
the  exercise  of  its  inherent  right,  ordain  him  and  make  him 
pastor.  It  has  this  right  in  all  its  plenitude ;  for  it  is  com- 
plete in  itself  under  Christ  to  do  all  churchly  acts.  No  one 
will  interfere  with  this  right.  But  when  its  pastor  thus  or- 
dained applies  to  the  association  for  membership,  the  associa- 

6«  Minutes  National  Council,  1880, 17.  "  Camb.  Plat,  ix,  2. 


CHUBCH  ASSOCIATIONS  CONTROL  FELLOWSHIP.     301 

tion  that  refused  to  ordain  will  refuse  to  admit  him  to 
ministerial  standing  therein,  unless  the  impediment  be 
removed.  It  will  not  interfere  with  his  relation  to  the 
church  that  thus  ordains  him,  but  it  will  see  to  it  that  that 
church  does  not  infringe  upon  the  inalienable  right  of  the 
other  churches  to  extend  or  withhold  fellowship  as  they  may 
deem  best.  That  church  can  not  demand  his  recognition  by 
the  association  ;  but  the  association  may,  if  the  case  warrant 
it,  after  patient  waiting,  proceed  to  expel  the  church  itself 
for  breaking  covenant  in  ordaining  and  keeping  a  pastor 
whom  the  association  can  not  fellowship.  There  is  no  exer- 
cise of  authority  here,  but  the  application  of  a  common  right 
which  all  bodies  possess. 

So  if  a  member  of  an  association,  whether  a  church  or 
a  minister,  violate  the  constitution  of  the  body  or  its  creed 
or  covenant,  that  member  may  be  tried,  convicted,  and  ex- 
pelled for  the  offence,  in  the  exercise  of  the  common  right 
that  a  body  has  to  enforce  the  terms  of  membership  upon  its 
members.  This  is  true  if  such  expulsion  be  held  to  depose 
a  minister  (§  201).  In  none  of  these  cases  is  there  the 
exercise  of  authority  over  a  church. 

§  211.  In  case  of  expulsion  the  process  should  be  the 
same  for  a  church  as  for  a  minister.  It  may  become  neces- 
sary for  an  association  to  expel  a  member,  either  a  church  or 
a  ministerial  member,  to  clear  itself  from  complicity  in  heresy 
or  immorality,  and  it  should  act  as  becomes  a  body  of  Chris- 
tian churches,  with  due  regard  to  forbearance  and  justice  and 
mercy. 

(1)  In  either  case  the  mode  of  expulsion  depends  upon 
the  mode  of  admission.  If  the  churches  of  any  locality 
could,  in  virtue  of  their  calling  themselves  churches,  associ- 
ate together  without  condition,  each  one  forcing  itself  upon 
the  rest  with  all  its  isms,  and  they  having  no  right  to 
exclude  it,  then  of  course  the  association  so  formed  would 
be  helpless.  It  could  not  exclude  the  most  heretical  and 
disorderly  gathering  calling  itself   a  church.      But  such  a 


302  THE  CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

claim  as  this  is  unscriptural  (§  94  :  1-3)  and  irrational  and 
impossible.  There  must,  then,  be  a  covenant  of  union,  either 
embodied  in  a  constitution  or  understood,  on  which  the  asso- 
ciation of  churches  is  effected,  to  which  every  member 
assents.  If  any  member  becomes  a  covenant-breaker,  that 
member,  whether  church  or  minister,  may  be  expelled  as 
such  from  the  body. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  churches  and  ministers  join  the  asso- 
ciation on  credentials  (§  213)  and  by  the  special  vote 
of  the  body.  Usually  the  application,  with  the  credentials,  is 
referred  to  a  special  committee  to  report  upon.  If  that  com- 
mittee have  reason  to  question  the  fitness  of  the  applicant,  it 
can  and  should  take  ample  time  to  ascertain  the  facts,  if  it 
takes  six  months  or  a  year,  and  report.  On  their  report  the 
application  is  accepted  or  rejected,  and  the  church  or  minis- 
ter admitted  or  excluded.  The  inquiry  covers  creed,  belief, 
ministerial  character  and  standing,  Avhatever  is  needful  to  be 
known. 

(2)  If  a  member,  whether  church  or  minister,  violates  the 
conditions  of  membership,  the  association  is  in  duty  bound 
to  notice  the  offence  and  deal  with  the  offender.  But  as 
such  associations  are  not  strictly  voluntary  societies,  but  are 
required  to  express  the  law  of  fellowship  and  the  unity  of 
the  church-kingdom,  the  association  is  required  to  labor  with 
the  offender  according  to  Christ's  rule  (jNIatt.  18 :  15-18), 
if  possible  to  win  the  church  or  minister  back  to  truth  and 
purity.  It  were  both  unbrotherly  and  unjust  to  expel, 
except  for  public  scandals  (§  107),  without  tr^dng  to 
reclaim  and  save.  If  these  labors  fail  to  reclaim,  the  case 
should  be  reported  to  the  association,  tried,  and  the  proper 
censure  passed.  It  were  unchristian  to  read  letters  crimi- 
nating the  party  and  then  to  act  on  them  without  giving  the 
accused  a  full  opportunity  to  be  heard.  The  trial  should  be 
conducted  as  a  church  trial  (§  173). 

(3)  We  need  here  to  distinguish  between  pastoral  repre- 
sentation  and    ministerial    membership    or   standing    in   an 


MINISTERIAL    STAXDIXG  AND  MEMBERSHIP.         303 

association  of  churches.     A  church  in  connection  is  usually 
entitled  to  be  represented  in  the  meetings  of  the  association 
by  its  pastor  and  one  or  more  delegates.     The  church  is  the 
member  of   the  body,  and  the  pastor  and  delegates  are  its 
representatives  ;    and  its  pastor,  as  such,  has  no  more  right 
and   membership  in   the   body  than   the    delegates   possess. 
Such  membership  gives  him  no  standing  in  the  body  and 
entitles  him  to  no  credentials.     His  church  has  standing  and 
can  be  dismissed  with  credentials  or  expelled ;  and  such  dis- 
missal or  expulsion  takes  its  pastor  and  delegates  out  of  the 
body,  unless  the  pastor  has  also  ministerial  membership  or 
standing  therein.     This  ministerial  standing  and  membership 
(§  122)    is   effected    by   vote    of    the    association    on    cre- 
dentials   (§  213),   and    it    entitles    a    minister    to     creden- 
tials on  leaving  the  body,  or  to  a  trial  and  expulsion.     This 
membership  is  distinct  from  any  relation  he  may  sustain  to 
a  church,  and  should  not,  therefore,  be  confounded  with  it. 
A  minister  may  indeed  be  expelled  from  an  association  as  a 
ministerial  member,  and  yet  appear  as  the  pastoral  repre- 
sentative of  his  church  in  the  same  association,  in  virtue  of 
his  pastorate,  until  the  association  shall  deal  with  the  church 
for  having  as  pastor  an  expelled  minister.     This  anomaly 
will,  however,  rarely  occur. 

(4)  If  a  church  or  minister,  after  trial,  he  expelled  from  an 
association,  they  are  cut  off  from  connection  and  standing 
with  Congregational  churches.  They  remain  a  church  and, 
possibly,  a  minister  still,  but  we  withdraw  our  recognition  from 
them  (§  121 :  3,  4),  and  can  not  be  held  accountable  for 
them.  A  church  so  expelled  should  be  dropped  from  our 
minutes  and  Year  Books  as  no  longer  a  Congregational 
church ;  and  a  minister  so  expelled  should  be  dropped  from 
the  minutes  and  Year  Books  as  no  longer  a  Congregational 
minister.  If  a  church  in  connection  employ  or  call  such  a 
minister  as  pastor,  his  name  should  go  into  the  statistical 
tables  against  the  name  of  that  church,  but  marked  with  a 
star  (*),  with  a  foot-note  giving  the  fact  of  his  expulsion ; 


304  THE    CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

as,  "  Expelled   from Association  ;  "  but   it   should   not 

go  into  the  list  of  Congregational  ministers  for  whom  our 
churches  are  responsible.  Such  a  note  accords  with  the  fact, 
and  brings  a  constant  pressure  upon  the  church  and  its 
minister  to  recover,  if  possible,  his  ministerial  standing 
again.  If  a  minister  has  not  joined  an  association,  he 
should  be  designated  by  a  foot-note  as  unconnected  or  as  a 
member  of  some  other  body.  Thus  our  churches  in  any 
locality  are  made  resjjonsible  only  for  those  in  connection, 
who  should  be  reported  in  the  minutes  in  an  alphabetical 
list,  as  also  the  churches. 

§  212.  If  in  either  exclusion  or  expulsion  injustice  be 
alleged  to  have  been  done,  relief  may  be  had,  as  we  have 
before  stated  in  case  of  ministers  (§  200 :  4),  in  a  mu- 
tual council  called  by  the  association  and  the  minister  or 
church  aggrieved,  or  claiming  to  be  aggrieved,  from  churches 
beyond  the  bounds  of  the  association,  whose  findings  and 
result  shall  be  final. 

If  the  action  of  the  association  be  approved  by  the  coun- 
cil, the  church  or  minister  remains  disfellowshiped ;  if  the 
action  of  the  association  be  condemned,  the  association 
should  restore  or  admit  the  party  to  membership,  but  if  it 
refuse,  the  action  or  result  of  the  mutual  council  becomes 
good  credentials,  on  which  any  other  association  is  warranted 
in  receiving  the  aggrieved. 

§  213.  And  by  credentials  we  mean  such  papers  and 
documents  as  the  creed  and  standing  rules  of  a  church ; 
ordination,  installation,  and  dismissal  papers,  if  issued  by 
a  council ;  certificates  of  transfer  from  one  association  or 
coordinate  body  to  another,  and  the  favorable  result  of  a 
mutual  or  ex  parte  council  duly  called  for  relief,  as  given 
under  the  preceding  head.  All  papers  that  define  a  minis- 
ter's standing  or  a  church's  standing  in  some  association  or 
co(5rdinate  body  as  good  and  regular  are  credentials. 

A  minister's  credentials,  if  given  by  a  presbytery  or 
similar  body,  contain  both  his  church  membership  and  liis 


THE  NATIONAL    COUNCIL  AND   PUBITY.  305 

ministerial  standing  and  membership  ;  and  hence  they  are 
not  discharged  of  their  true  and  full  contents  until  the 
bearer  of  them  is  admitted  on  them  both  into  membership 
in  a  local  church  and  into  membership  in  an  association  of 
churches.  A  minister  bringing  them  should  not,  therefore, 
unite  with  a  church  on  profession  of  faith,  but  on  his 
credentials. 

Our  churches  have  been  slowly  feeling  their  way  to  this 
associational  method  of  fellowship  and  security.  We  have 
noted  the  late  origin  of  church  associations  in  this  country 
(§  208  :  1,  2),  and  their  rapid  spread.  In  1850  the  Gen- 
eral Association  of  the  Congregational  Churches  and  Minis- 
ters of  Michigan  changed  its  constitution,  so  that  since  then 
no  minister  has  had  membership  therein  unless  a  member  of 
a  local  association  or  conference  within  the  state,  and  in 
1855  it  began  publishing  a  list  of  such  responsible  members, 
which  it  has  continued  to  the  present  time.  Care  in  making 
up  lists  of  ministers  responsible  through  associational  con- 
nection will  render  this  safeguard  of  purity  of  the  utmost 
value.     A  star  '(*)  should  mean  more  than  it  does. 

§  214.  The  National  Council  at  its  organization,  in  1871, 
declared  that  "'-  all  ministers  in  our  denomination  ought  to  be 
in  orderly  connection  with  some  ministerial  or  ecclesiastical 
organization  which  shall  be  able  to  certify  to  their  regular 
standing  in  the  ministry,"'  and  warned  the  churches  against 
employing  any  others.^®  It  repeated  the  warning  in  1877.^^ 
These  warnings  still  stand.  The  lists  of  ministers  in  our 
Year  Books  have  recognized  this  standing  in  associations  of 
ministers  or  of  churches.  The  same  is  true  in  England. 
There  the  list  is  expressly  limited  to  "  only  such  names  as 
are  officially  furnished  from  year  to  year  by  the  secretaries 
of  county  associations  or  unions."  The  method  has  been 
found  needful  in  the  natural  working  of  the  fellowship  of 
untrammeled,  independent  churches.  It  has  had  only  a 
recent  statement.  But  the  principle  will  develop  into  com- 
es Minutes,  60.  ''»  Minutes,  24. 


306  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

pleteness  ;  for  there  is  not  in  it  a  single  element  borrowed 
from  another  and  foreign  polity.  It  leaves  the  churches  free 
and  independent,  while  exhibiting  in  fellowsliip  their  unity 
and  cooperation.  There  has  been  no  case  that  we  have 
heard  of  where  an  association  of  churches  has  attempted  to 
exercise  authority.  When  associations  of  churches  ordain 
and  discipline  and  depose  under  the  limitations  above  given, 
our  fellowship  will  be  simplified.  One  step  more  remains  to 
be  added  to  the  system,""  then  our  churches  will  meet  in 
occasional  or  stated  ecumenical  councils.  The  isolation  of 
our  missionary  churches  demands  this  bond  of  fellowship. 
And  the  sooner  it  is  established,  the  better  for  freedom  and 
life. 

NOTE    ON   THE   ORIGIN    OF   THE   NATIONAL   COUNCIL. 

We  have  alreadj'  referred  to  the  character  of  the  general 
courts  of  the  New  England  colonies  as  both  civil  and  eccle- 
siastical (§§  123,  208),  and  to  the  action  of  the  General 
Court  of  Massachusetts  in  1641  in  favor  of  church  confer- 
ences for  the  resolving  of  doubts  and  cases  of  conscience 
(§  208).  Had  this  action  grown  up  into  associations  of 
churches,  as  both  Cotton  and  Hooker  desired,  the  history  of 
the  Pilgrim  polity  would  have  had  a  more  honorable  place ; 
but  it  failed. 

In  1642  the  four  New  England  colonies  formed  a  confeder- 
ation under  the  name  "  The  United  Colonies  of  New  Eng- 
land." This  union  was  both  civil  and  ecclesiastical,  "a  firm 
and  perpetual  league  of  friendship  and  amity  for  offence  and 
defence,  mutual  advice  and  succor,  upon  all  just  occasions, 
both  for  preserving  and  propagating  the  truth  and  liberties 
of  the  gospel,  and  for  their  own  mutual  safety  and  welfare."  '^ 
As  this  union  was  the  forerunner  of  the  United  States  in  its 
civil  relations,  it  was  also  the  forerunner  of  the  National 
Council  in  its  ecclesiastical  relations. 

General  councils  of  our  churches  have  been  held  occasion- 

'">  16  Cong.  Quart.  291-303.  '"■  Palfrey's  Hist.  New  Eag.  i,  630. 


ORIGIN  OF   THE  NATIONAL    COUNCIL.  307 

ally:  One  at  Newtown,  now  Cambridge,  Mass.,  in  1637; 
another  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  1(34»)-1<)48 ;  a  third  at  Albany, 
N.  Y.,  1852;  a  fourth  at  Boston,  Mass.,  18()5.  There  have 
been  also  some  important  local  councils,  or  synods:  the 
Boston  synod,  16(32 ;  the  "  Reforming  synod,"  1679,  1680 ; 
the  Saybrook  synod,  1708 ;  the  Michigan  City  convention, 
1846,  called  by  the  General  Association  of  Michigan.  It  is 
claimed  that  this  convention  led  directly  to  the  calling  of 
the  Albany  convention,  six  yeais  later,  and  more  remotely 
to  the  triennial  National  Council."'^ 

In  1818  the  General  Association  of  Connecticut  attempted 
to  unite  all  the  general  associations  of  New  England,  not  in 
an  association,  but  in  a  "Committee  of  Union,"  to  meet 
annually.  Massachusetts  approved ;  New  Hampshire  and 
Vermont  declined  the  proposal.  The  committee  met  in 
1819,  but  in  1821  it  recommended  its  own  dissolution.  Dr. 
Dexter  calls  the  plan  a  fifth  wheel ;  ''^  but  Dr.  Quint  says : 
"  Had  it  succeeded  it  would  have  essentially  united  all  our 
Congregational  associations  in  one  compact  body,  and 
changed  our  whole  polity.""*  It  was  purely  ministerial,  and 
rightly  died. 

The  Congregational  Union  of  England  and  Wales,  organ- 
ized in  1833,  was  naturally  suggestive  of  a  similar  national 
body  in  the  United  States  and  other  countries. 

Next  to  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  makes  all 
believers  one  and  draws  them  into  suitable  manifestations 
of  that  unity,  the  Congregational  churches  of  the  United 
States  owe  an  incalculable  debt  of  gratitude  to  the  founders, 
and  editors  of  The  Congregational  Quarterly.  Their  labors 
made  the  National  Council  possible,  and  fostered  all  the  ele- 
ments which  brought  it  into  being  and  which  have  given 
permanency  to  it.  Their  names  are  worthy  to  be  mentioned 
here :  Reverends  Joseph  S.  Clark,  d.d.,  Henry  M.  Dexter, 
D.D.,  Alonzo  H.  Quint,  d.d.,  Isaac  P.  Langworthy,  d.d.,  and 

'-  Intioiliiction  to  Reprint  of  Minutes,  by  Rev.  L.  Smitli  Uobart,  5. 

"  Congrcjrationalisni,  ■'•2ti,  note.  '*  1  Cong.  Quart.  48,  49. 


308  THE  CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

Christopher  Gushing,  d.d.  Without  their  labors  the  Na- 
tional Council  could  not  have  been  organized  when  it  was. 
This  Quarterly  was  begun  in  1859  and  died  an  untimely 
death  in  1878.  Its  twenty  volumes  are  a  thesaurus  of  eccle- 
siastical information. 

But  so  far  as  is  known  to  the  writer,  the  honor  of  having 
first  suggested  the  idea  of  a  stated  national  gathering  of  the 
Congregational  churches  in  this  country  belongs  to  Rev. 
Richard  B.  Thurston,  whose  youth  and  early  ministry  was 
spent  among  the  founders  of  the  Maine  Conference.  He 
then  removed  to  Massachusetts  and  aided  in  the  formation 
(1860)  of  the  General  Conference  of  that  state,  which  was 
united  with  the  General  Association  in  1868.  Removing 
thence  to  Connecticut,  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  organi- 
zation of  the  General  Conference  therein  (1867).  Through 
these  labors  there  arose  in  his  mind  the  idea  of  a  national 
stated  meeting  of  our  churches,  which  he  broached  to  others 
in  conversation.  At  length  a  call  for  the  Pilgrim  Memo- 
rial Convention  was  issued.  Mr.  Thurston,  in  reading  it  to 
his  church,  made  known  his  ho})e  respecting  a  permanent 
national  conference ;  his  church,  the  First  Church  of  Stam- 
ford, Conn.,  sent  him  as  delegate  to  the  said  convention, 
which  was  held  in  Chicago  April  27,  1870.  He  attended, 
and  offered  through  the  business  committee  of  the  body,  the 
following :  — 

*■'■  Mesolved,  That  this  Pilgrim  Memorial  Convention  rec- 
ommend to  the  Congregational  state  conferences  and  asso- 
ciations, and  to  other  local  bodies,  to  unite  in  measures  for 
instituting,  on  the  principles  of  fellowship,  excluding  eccle- 
siastical authority,  a  permanent  national  conference."  '^ 

The  resolution  was  adopted,  we  believe,  unanimously  and 
without  discussion.  In  the  June  following  the  General  Asso- 
ciations of  Iowa  and  Indiana  adopted  similar  general  resolu- 
tions of  approval.  But  "  the  General  Conference  of  Ohio  was 
the  first  to  propose  definite  action.   That  conference  appointed 

"  Introd.  Minutes  National  Council,  1S71,  8;  12  Cong.  Quart.  392;  1,"?  Cong.  Quart.  235. 


OBIGIN  OF   THE  NATIONAL    COUNCIL.  309 

a  committee  (Rev.  A.  Hastings  Ross  being  made  chairman) 
to  correspond  with  other  state  organizations  and  propose  a 
convention  to  mature  the  plan."  '•''  The  phin  here  referred 
to  was  prepared  and  presented  by  the  writer,  and  was  unani- 
mously adopted  by  the  conference  and  the  committee  ap- 
pointed.    It  is  as  follows  :  — 

"  Whereas.,  The  cause  of  the  Master  demands  united  coun- 
sels and  efforts ;  and,  whereas,  our  churches  and  polity  have 
neither  obtained  [attained]  the  efficiency  of  which  they  are 
capable,  nor  exhibited  the  unity  for  which  Christ  prayed ; 
therefore, 

"  Renolved,  That  we  hail  with  delight  the  movement  to 
establish  a  national  council  of  Congregational  churches  in 
the  United  States,  to  meet  at  stated  times,  but  to  have  and 
exercise  no  ecclesiastical  authority  whatever. 

'•'■  Resolved.,  That  we  appoint  a  committee  of  seven  to  make 
overtures  to  the  Congregational  conferences  and  associations 
of  the  several  states,  and  the  officers  of  our  denominational 
societies,  respecting  the  formation  of  such  national  Congre- 
gational council  on  such  basis  of  representation  as  shall  be 
deemed  best,  and  in  accordance  with  the  principles  of  our 
polity. 

"  Resolved.,  That  said  committee  be  authorized  to  represent 
this  Conference  in  any  convention  or  conference  which  may 
be  called  before  our  next  meeting,  to  mature  this  plan ;  said 
committee  to  report  to  this  Conference."  '^ 

These  resolutions  were  adopted  on  June  16, 1870,  only  fifty 
days  after  the  action  at  Chicago.  They  were  communicated 
to  all  the  state  bodies  by  the  chairman  of  the  committee 
appointed  for  the  purpose,  with  the  request  for  action 
thereon.  All  the  state  bodies,  therefore,  acted  expressly 
with  reference  to  the  establishment  of  a  national  council 
meeting  "  at  stated  times."  "  The  several  state  organizations 
approved  of  the  proposed  national  organization,  and  appointed 

"  Introd.  Minutes  National  Council,  1871,  8;  12  Cong.  Quart.  392;  13  Cong.  Quart.  235. 
"  Minutes,  Conf.  Ohio,  1870,  12,  13. 


310  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

committees."  ~  The  writer  suggested  to  the  General  Associa- 
tion of  New  York  the  propriety  of  calling  the  several  commit- 
tees to  meet  on  December  21, 1870,  "  and  its  committee  (Rev. 
L.  Smith  Hobart,  chairman)  issued  circulars  to  that  effect." 
This  proposal  and  date  were  in  the  original  Ohio  resolutions, 
but  were  stricken  out  before  presentation,  on  the  suggestion 
of  Rev.  Samuel  Wolcott,  d.d.,  as  premature.  On  the  invita- 
tion of  the  committee  of  the  General  Association  of  Massa- 
chusetts, a  convention  of  committees  was  held  in  Boston, 
Mass.,  December  21,  1870.  This  convention,  after  hearing 
"  the  substance  of  the  action  taken  by  the  several  state  confer- 
ences on  the  subject  of  a  national  council,"  adopted  the 
following :  — 

"  Resolved.,  That  it  is  expedient,  and  appears  clearly  to 
be  the  voice  of  the  churches,  that  a  national  council  of  the 

Congregational  churches  of  the  United  States  be  organ- 
ized." ^8 

This  convention  prepared  a  draft  of  action  necessary  to 
the  organization  of  such  a  body,  which  included  name,  ratio 
of  representation,  doctrinal  and  ecclesiastical  basis,  objects, 
permanency,  etc.     It  also 

"  Resolved.,  That  the  churches  throughout  the  country  be 
notified  of  the  action  of  this  convention,  and  be  requested 
to  authorize  their  representatives  in  conferences  to  choose 
delegates  as  above." '^ 

Every  step  in  these  preliminaries  looked  to  the  formation 
of  a  national  body  meeting  statedly.  As  such,  the  churches 
approved  it  by  electing  delegates  in  response  to  the  call. 
These  delegates  met  as  a  council  of  the  Congregational 
churches  of  the  United  States,  in  Oberlin,  Ohio,  November 
15,  1871.  They  organized  provisionally,  adopted  a  constitu- 
tion, providing  for  triennial  sessions,  under  which  they  or- 
ganized as  a  permanent  national  council. 

The  Ohio  resolutions  suggested  the  membership  of  our 
national  societies  in  the  council,  which  membership  was  also 

"  Introii.  Minute  Nat.  Council,  1871,  8.        's  ibid.  10.        "  Ibid.  12. 


ORIGIN  OF   THE  NATIONAL    COUNCIL.  311 

advocated  in  The  Congregational  Review  for  September,  1870 
(437,  488). 

But  the  growth  of  fellowship  among  free  churches  can  not 
stop  at  national  boundaries.  That  fellowship  must  extend 
to  ecumenical  unity,  according  to  the  prayer  of  Christ,  that 
all  may  be  one.  Hence  the  writer  has  advocated  an  ecu- 
menical, or  general,  council  of  Congregational  churches,  in 
his  lectures,  since  1872,  in  the  Oberlin  Theological  Semi- 
nary, in  The  Congregational  Quarterly  for  1874  (291-303), 
and  in  the  Pocket  Manual  (1883).  The  time  is  near  when 
such  general  council  will  be  held,  that  the  scattered  free 
churches,  and  especially  the  mission  free  churches,  may  be 
strengthened  by  the  bonds  of  a  common  fellowship. 


LECTURE   XI. 

THE   DOCTRINE    OF    THE    CHRISTIAN    CHURCH.  —  ACTIVITIES 
AND    RELATIONS. 

"  Go  ye  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of  alt  the  nations:  .  .  .  And  lo,  I  am 
with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world.'"  —  Jesus  Christ. 

^' Bender  therefore  unto  Ccesar  the  things  that  are  Ccesar^s;  and  unto  God 
the  things  that  are  God's.^^  —Jesus  Christ. 

"  Ye  are  the  salt  of  the  earth.-'  "  Ye  are  the  light  of  the  xoorld!''  —  Jesus 
Christ. 

§  215.  A  CHURCH  does  not  live  for  itself  alone,  nor 
even  for  sister  cliurclies.  All  churches  unite  in  one  church- 
kingdom,  whose  great  commission  is  to  "  make  disciples  of 
all  the  nations"  (Matt.  28:  19),  to  "preach  the  gospel  to  the 
whole  creation  "  (Mark  16  :  15).  This  comprehensive  duty- 
rests  in  its  degree  upon  every  believer  and  every  church.  It 
is  enforced  by  the  pertinent  question  of  Paul :  "  How  shall 
they  hear  without  a  preacher?"  (Rom.  10:  14).  At  first 
ambassadors  went  every-where  preaching,  until  all  lands  had 
heard  of  the  gospel  (Col.  1 :  6,  23). 

Christ  has  made  the  local  churches  the  nerve-centers  of 
Christian  life  and  activity,  the  integers  of  organization  and 
of  evangelization  (§  42),  and  he  will  require  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  work  at  their  hands. 

§  216.  Some  parts  of  this  evangelization  are  laid  upon 
each  individual  church  to  do  separately.  Each  church  con- 
trols its  own  worship  (§  159).  It  trains  its  own  children  in 
doctrine  and  in  duty.  Hence  its  Sunday-school,  being  a  part 
of  the  church  work,  is  under  the  control  of  the  church  in 
matters  of  lessons  and  of  management.  Tlie  church  school 
is  not  an  independent  body,  but  is  subject  to  church  control. 

(1)  The  churches  early  gave  great  attention  to  the  Chris- 
tian training  of  the  young  and  ignorant.  "  To  guard  against 
the  hasty  admission  of  unworthy  men,  the   churches,  soon 


CHURCH  COOPERATION.  313 

after  the  age  of  the  apostles,  gradually  instituted  a  severe 
and  protracted  inquiry  into  the  character  and  views  of  those 
who  sought  the  privileges  of  their  communion.  They  were 
put  upon  a  course  of  instruction  and  discipline,  more  or  less 
extended,  before  being  received  into  the  communion  of  the 
church."  1  The  earliest  manual  of  instruction  extant  is 
probably  the  "  Teaching  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,"  going  back 
nearly  to  the  beginning  of  the  second  century.  The  later 
manuals  must  have  been  more  elaborate  and  profound.  The 
catechumens  constituted  a  church  school,  whether  held  on 
Sunday  or  on  week-days. 

In  the  Pilgrim  Church  at  Plymouth,  as  early  as  1694,  "  the 
pastor  attended  the  catechising  of  children  on  Sabbath  noons, 
and  continued  it  during  his  ministry."  This  was  nearly  a 
century  before  Robert  Raikes  began  his  ragged  schools  on 
Sunday,  out  of  which  the  Sunday-school  system  is  generally 
supposed  to  have  grown.  "  In  1783  the  church  requested  the 
deacons  to  catechise  the  children  between  meetings,  which 
they  did,  and  also  the  next  year."  ^  The  importance  of 
this  system  is  indicated  by  its  rapid  spread  in  all  commun- 
ions, and  by  the  vast  apparatus  employed  by  it.  Yet  the 
school  must  not  take  the  place  of  the  church,  or  draw  the 
children  from  the  church  services ;  for  in  either  case  it 
weakens  the  church,  if  it  does  not  destroy  it.  The  undue 
working  of  the  Sunday-school  system  in  this  regard  has  pro- 
duced a  reaction  ;  for  it  has  been  feared  that  the  school  has 
been  emptying  the  churches.  The  church  must  control  the 
school  and  train  its  cliildren  to  attend  the  church  services 
regularly. 

(2)  Each  church  must  attend  also  to  the  evangelization  of 
those  within  its  immediate  care  or  parish.  No  other  church 
should  crowd  into  this  its  special  field,  so  long  as  it  does  tlie 
work  well  and  is  sound  in  the  faith.  A  church  should  care 
for  its  own  congregation  and  the  waste  places  in  its  vicinity, 
but  not  rob  other  churches. 

1  Coleman's  Prim.  Christ.  Exemplified,  118.  '  New  Eng.  Alemorial,  433,  434. 


314  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

§  217.  Yet  no  church  can  do  all  that  is  required  of  it 
without  cooperation  with  others.  Many  things  belong  to  the 
churches  in  common,  in  the  doing  of  which  they  need  to  join 
hands. 

(1)  The  churches  must  see  to  it  that  the  ministerial  func- 
tion of  the  church-kingdom  be  properly  trained.  They  must 
prepare  men  for  the  ministry.  The  chosen  apostles  while  in 
training  lived  from  a  common  treasury  (John  12:  6;  13: 
29),  which  was  replenished  by  the  gifts  of  the  pious  (Luke 
8:3).  It  remains  a  duty  to  aid  those  called  of  God  into 
the  ministry  of  the  Word.  "What  soldier  ever  serveth  at 
his  own  charges?"  (1  Cor.  9:  7),  or  trains  for  war  at  his 
own  expense  ?  Whatever  preparation  be  needed  for  the  pas- 
torate and  missionary  work,  the  churches  should  provide  in 
whole  or  in  part,  as  necessity  may  require,  for  the  candidates. 

(2)  It  is  the  duty  of  each  and  every  church  to  aid  in 
evangelizing  the  country  in  which  it  is  planted.  Home  evan- 
gelization is  laid  upon  them,  until  every  city,  town,  and  ham- 
let is  brought  under  the  benign  influences  of  the  gospel. 
Owing  to  the  rapid  settlement  of  our  own  country,  this  home 
labor  becomes  the  paramount  duty  of  our  churches,  enforced 
by  patriotism  as  well  as  religion. 

(3)  But  the  great  commission  is  wider  than  any  country. 
To  make  disciples  of  all  the  nations  is  included  expressly  in 
it.  National  and  racial  lines  are  not  to  stop  the  grace  of 
God  or  the  love  of  his  people.  The  gospel  is  ecumenical, 
and  the  churches  must  preach  it  to  every  tribe,  nation,  and 
race.     This  is  their  business. 

To  train  the  ministry,  to  evangelize  the  country,  to  preach 
the  gospel  to  all  the  creation,  are  parts  of  one  and  the  same 
work  and  duty  of  the  churches. 

§  218.  This  common  work  demands  cooperation.  Noth- 
ing would  seem  to  be  more  self-evident.  Both  economy  and 
efficiency,  both  harmony  and  permanency,  demand  unity  of 
action  in  plan  and  execution.  Their  money,  their  agencies, 
their  administration,  must  flow  together,  that  there  may  be 


CHURCH  COOPEBATIOy.  315 

concentration,  permanence,  and  no  waste.  What  no  one 
church  can  do  ah)ne  many  churches  can  do  together,  and  do 
with  ease  and  with  tlie  best  results.  And  tliere  must  be 
some  normal  method  for  the  cooperation  of  independent 
churches,  since  Christ  ordained  such  and  the  apostles  planted 
only  such  (§§  98,  109).  Their  essential  nature  is  for  each 
to  manage  its  own  affairs ;  and  having  been  commanded  to 
make  disciples  of  all  the  nations,  there  is  a  normal  way  for 
them  to  cooperate  in  doing  it.     What  is  that  way? 

(1)  The  primitive  churclies  were  not  in  circumstances, 
while  under  persecution,  to  exhibit  the  law  of  cooperation  in 
systematic,  organic  missionary  work.  Driven  from  Jerusa- 
lem, the  disciples  went  about  preaching  the  Word  (Acts  8 : 
1,  1).  Later  the  Holy  Ghost,  through  the  church  at  Antioch, 
separated  Barnabas  and  Saul  expressly  to  preach  the  gospel 
to  the  Gentiles  (Acts  13  :  2).  While  in  this  and  subsequent 
missions  Paul  sometimes  earned  his  support  in  whole  or  in 
part  by  his  trade  (Acts  20 :  34),  and  sometimes  received  as- 
sistance from  the  churches  he  had  planted  (2  Cor.  11 :  8,  9 ; 
Phil.  4 :  15),  there  appears  to  have  been  no  systematic  and 
organized  attempt  made  to  sustain  missionaries.  The  zeal 
of  the  churches  was  abundant,  and  the  gospel  was  soon 
preached  every-where  (Col.  1 :  6,  23),  but  each  church  and 
missionary  acted  alone  largely,  and  not  with  concerted  action. 
Persecution  constrained  such  a  course. 

(2)  In  the  systematic  efforts  put  forth  near  the  beginning 
of  the  present  century,  in  this  country,  individual  believers 
became  associated  in  societies,  as  many  or  more  than  there 
were  objects  of  endeavor.  The  foundation  of  such  volun- 
tary societies  is  not  the  churches  but  individuals,  who  gener- 
ally purchased  the  membership  of  control  in  them  by  one 
small  pecuniary  contribution.  These  generally  were  union 
societies  embracing  members  of  different  denominations. 
Some  of  our  Congregational  societies  are  of  this  sort,  which, 
consequently,  recognize  the  churches  in  no  organic  way  in 
their  management. 


316  THE  CHUnCII-  KIXGDOM. 

(3)  Another  method  of  organized  hibor  was  in  and 
through  a  permanent  board,  small,  select,  perpetuating 
itself,  a  close  corporation.  Most  of  our  colleges  and  semi- 
naries, and  one  of  our  missionary  societies,  are  of  this  kind. 
The  close  corporation  manages  the  school  or  society  in  all 
respects  by  its  own  wisdom.  The  churches  give  the  money 
and  the  board  of  trust  expends  it  or  holds  it  in  trust  as  re- 
quired by  the  bequest.  The  churches  have  no  control  over 
either  school  or  society,  except  that  which  comes  from  the 
cruel  withdrawal  of  funds.  If  either  should  become  en- 
dowed so  that  its  income  would  sustain  it,  it  could  defy  the 
churches  that  planted  and  fostered  it,  in  doctrine,  polity,  and 
labor.  While  such  a  method  may  conduce  to  efficiency,  it 
risks  the  loss  of  the  college,  seminary,  or  society  to  the  faith 
and  polity  that  planted  and  endowed  it.  Our  churches  have 
already  more  than  once  suffered  this  loss  by  defection,  and 
are  liable  to  the  risk  in  every  case ;  for  it  lies  in  the  method. 
Besides,  the  method  puts  a  gulf  between  the  school  or  soci- 
ety and  the  living  heart  of  the  churches.  The  management 
of  the  corporation  is  separated  from  the  great  working  doc- 
trines of  the  churches,  on  which  alone  the  gospel  has  ever 
obtained  success.  Alienation  and  loss  are  the  fruits  of  this 
method,  when  matured. 

(4)  There  are  mixed  plans  which  also  exist  certainly  in 
one  society,  and  in  some  schools.  In  the  schools  it  consists 
in  allowing  the  alumni  to  nominate  or  elect  a  part  of  the 
board  of  trustees,  or  the  school  is  connected  with  a  clerical 
union  or  convention  in  some  responsible  relation.  In  the 
case  of  the  societ}-,  the  final  power  of  control  vests  in  life 
members,  made  such  by  a  small  gift  of  money,  and  in  dele- 
gates from  churches  and  general  associations,  annually  chosen. 
This  brings  the  society  into  closer  relations  to  the  churches 
than  the  preceding  methods  are  able  to  do.  But  this  plan, 
like  that  of  individual  membership,  owing  to  the  many  thou- 
sands of  voting  members,  must  confine  the  management 
almost  wholly  to   the    officers.     A  change  in   the  place  of 


METHODS   OF  CHURCH  COOPERATION.  317 

meeting  renders  the  membership  present  at  the  annual  gath- 
erings too  unacquainted  with  the  affairs  of  the  society  to  be 
efficient ;  while  the  permanency  of  that  meeting  in  one  place 
gathers  about  the  officers  their  personal  friends.  Hence 
this  method  practically  reduces  the  management  to  the 
officers  and  the  smallest  fraction  of  the  voting  membership.^ 

(5)  Another  method  of  cooperation  is  through  the  associa- 
tion of  the  churches,  which  becomes  itself  a  board  or  society 
for  educational,  benevolent,  and  missionary  operations.  Some 
of  our  state  associations  and  foreign  unions  thus  cooperate, 
the  churches  doing  their  Master's  work  without  any  inter- 
mediary agency. 

We  have  among  our  churches  all  these  methods,  a  delight- 
ful variety,  if  confusion  can  ever  be  delightful.  There  is 
management,  first.,  by  association  of  individual  believers ; 
second.,  by  close  corporate  boards ;  third,  by  mixture  of 
life  members  and  delegates  from  the  churches ;  and,  fourth., 
by  association  of  churches.  No  wonder  that  there  are  symp- 
toms of  unrest,  under  this  confusion  and  the  losses  it  has 
occasioned,  lest  even  worse  things  come  U2)on  us.  This  un- 
rest has  already  modified  charters  and  altered  constitutions, 
and  must  find  expression  until  some  normal  and  safe  way 
shall  be  reached  by  which  independent  churches  can  fulfill 
Christ's  commission  to  make  disciples  of  all  the  nations. 

§  219.  The  normal  method  of  conducting  the  common 
interests  of  independent  churches  needs  both  statement  and 
adoption.  The  liberty  of  these  churches  can  not  be  in- 
fringed upon.  Each  must  choose  its  own  channel  of  opera- 
tion, and  freely  give,  as  it  has  freely  received,  the  gospel  of 
eternal  redemption.  But  several  or  many  churches  receiving 
a  commission  that  renders  cooperation  not  only  desirable 
but  necessary,  would  naturally  do,  as  the  church  at  Antioch 
did  in  a  doctrinal  controversy,  choose  messengers  to  meet 

'  The  society  may  hold  its  annual  meetings  in  laioms  where  not  one  in  a  hundred  of 
its  many  thousand  life  and  voting  meml)ers  can  llnd  admittance.  The  evil  is  but  little 
removed  if  the  society  meet  in  the  largest  churches. 


318  THE  CHUBCH-  KIXGDOM. 

together  and  to  act  for  thein  in  devising  and  executing  plans 
for  the  accomplishment  of  the  work.  They  would  not  com- 
mit their  trust  to  boards  or  societies  not  accountable  to 
themselves.  If  the  assembly  of  delegates  be  too  large  to 
act  most  efficiently  in  any  respect,  it  would  do,  as  the  so- 
called  council  at  Jerusalem  did,  "  choose  men  out  of  their 
company  "  (Acts  15 :  22),  to  do  the  work  for  the  churches 
and  in  their  name.  This  way  would  seem  to  be  natural  and 
normal  as  well  as  Scriptural.  There  is  in  it  no  surrender  of 
the  corner-stone  of  our  polit}^  the  independence  under 
Christ  of  each  church ;  no  separation  between  the  churches 
and  their  commanded  work  ;  no  transference  of  responsibil- 
ity to  a  third  party ;  and  therefore  no  feeling  that  the 
men  doing  the  work  are  not  the  chosen  representatives 
of  the  churches.  This  method  brings  the  schools  and 
the  missions  into  direct  contact  with  the  life  and  work- 
ing doctrines  of  the  churches.  It  does  not  establish  and 
endow  cloistered  centers  of  independent  life,  sure  to  grow 
away  from  the  churches,  unless  held  by  annual  contributions, 
as  are  the  majority  of  our  societies  and  theological  semina- 
ries. In  this  associational  management  of  all  common  inter- 
ests, our  churches  only  fulfill  their  divinely  given  trust,  and 
that  without  damage  to  their  Scriptural  autonomy.  They 
manage  all  their  affairs. 

We  are  glad  to  find  that  this  normal  method  of  conducting 
the  common  affairs  of  independent  churches  is  employed 
elsewhere.  The  affairs  of  "  The  Congregational  Church- 
Aid  and  Home  Missionary  Society  "  of  England  are  "  man- 
aged by  a  Council,"  and  tliis  Council,  numbering  not  more 
than  two  hundred  members,  is  elected  annually  by  "  the  sev- 
eral Confederated  Associations."  These  Confederated  Asso- 
ciations are  "  such  County  Unions  as  may  agree  to  confeder- 
ate for  the  objects  "  specified  in  the  constitution  of  the  soci- 
ety, and  "  such  other  Associations  of  Churches  as  may  from 
time  to  time  be  received  b>*the  Council."  Thus  the  churches 
have  exclusive  control  of  the  management  of  this  Society 


OBSTACLES   TO   NORMAL   METHOD.  319 

through  their  representatives  chosen  annually  in  their  Corih 
federated  Associations.  The  foreign  missionary  society  of 
the  English  Congregationalists,  called  the  London  Missionary 
Society,  formed  in  1795  by  long  and  repeated  conferences  of 
pastors  and  laymen  of  the  churches,  is  "  thoroughly  demo- 
cratic." Its  income  is  much  larger  than  that  of  our  foreign 
missionary  society.  The  mission  work  of  Victoria  in  Aus- 
tralia is  managed  by  the  Congregational  Union  or  association 
of  churches.  Contributing  churches  have  representation  in 
the  corporation  of  the  Congregational  College  of  British 
North  America,  and  in  the  Canada  Congregational  Mission- 
ary Society.  Voluntary  societies  appear  to  be  peculiar  to 
this  country.  Why  should  not  our  societies  come  into  closer 
relations  to  our  churches  ? 

§  220.  There  are  certain  obstacles  to  a  return  to  this  nor- 
mal method  which  must  be  regarded,  if  they  can  not  be 
removed.     These  obstacles  are  :  — 

(1)  Reverence  for  the  ways  of  our  fathers,  who  organized 
our  societies  and  schools  on  different  princi})les.  But  they  did 
so  largely  to  make  them  union  societies,  in  which  individuals, 
not  churches  or  denominations,  naturally  became  the  basis 
of  organization.  Other  denominations  have  withdrawn  and 
constituted  their  own  boards  or  societies,  leaving  the  old 
societies  in  our  hands,  and  so  the  chief  reason  for  the  original 
method  no  longer  exists.  And  reverence  for  the  founders 
ought  not,  therefore,  to  prevent  a  return  to  the  normal  and 
true,  so  far  as  it  can  now  be  effected  without  legal  risks. 

(2)  Regard  must  be  had  for  present  charters  and  trust 
funds,  so  that  no  alterations  may  be  made  which  shall  annul 
or  forfeit  them.  Yet  alterations  may  be  made  bettering  the 
methods  of  carrying  out  the  ends  of  schools  and  societies. 
And  charters  may  be  amended  for  the  greater  efficiency  of 
their  working.  Membership  may  be  limited  or  changed  in 
these  ways.  True,  vested  rights  may  not  be  taken  away 
from  members,  but  life  members  i»  need  no  longer  be  made, 
and  delegate  membership  may  be  secured,  so  that  in  a  gen- 


320  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

eration  or  so  there  will  be  no  voting  members  but  the  dele- 
gates of  the  churches.  And  even  from  the  introduction  of 
the  change  the  control  of  the  society  or  board  would  be  in 
the  hands,  practically,  of  the  churches.  Then  when  once  all 
life  members  have  ceased,  the  charter  and  constitution  may 
be  changed  so  that  the  churches  shall  have  the  sole  right  of 
control. 

(3)  There  is  no  unwarranted  centralization  in  this  normal 
method.  The  churches  are  controlling  their  own  common 
affairs,  while  each  is  free  and  equal  and  independent  under 
Christ.  There  is  always  more  danger  from  the  introduction 
of  a  foreign  element  than  from  the  right  use  of  a  normal 
power.  Our  societies  and  schools,  with  rare  exceptions,  are 
foreign  to  our  polity,  since  our  churches  are  deprived  in 
them  of  managing  their  own  affairs ;  and  there  has  been  in- 
troduced by  them  a  concentration  of  power  that  is  dangerous. 
This  power  is  in  the  hands  of  a  few  men  who  may  again,  in 
the  case  of  schools,  as  they  have  done  in  the  past,  pervert 
trust  funds  and  institutions  and  paralyze  the  energies  of  the 
churches  that  fostered  them.  Men  separated  by  natural  taste 
and  special  training  into  a  cloister,  each  desirous  of  making 
prominent  his  own  specialty,  need  frequent  contact  with  the 
vital  energies  of  the  churches  to  keep  them  from  going  off 
into  profitless  speculations.  Cut  off  from  this  responsible 
connection,  as  in  state  establishments,  it  is  no  wonder  that 
their  schools,  planted  in  prayers  and  manifold  self-denials,  de- 
sert the  faith  and  pull  down  what  they  were  founded  to 
build  up.  A  wrong  principle  can  not  be  worked  long  with 
good  results. 

§  221.  These  obstacles  are  not  insuperable.  They  can  be 
removed  or  remedied.  We  suggested,  in  1882,  a  method  of 
adjustment,*  which  we  will  re-produce.  It  preserves  all  vested 
rights,  secures  the  perpetual  legal  continuity  of  the  societies 
to  which  it  applies,  and  brings  the  societies  into  close  and 
responsible   relations   to    the    churches.       (1)  Let   no  more 

*  The  Advance,  June  15,  1882;  see  also  44  Bib.  Sacra,  417-420. 


ADVANTAGES   OF   THE  NORMAL   METHOD.  321 

members  be  made  on  «a  pecuniary  basis,  as  wrong  in  principle, 
and  as  giving  temptation,  in  certain  emergencies,  to  increase 
membership  thereby  for  partisan  ends,  or  the  suspicion  that 
majorities  are  sometimes  so  made.  (2)  Let  members  and 
officers,  however  they  may  have  been  made,  remain  undis- 
turbed until  their  terms  shall  ex])ire  by  limitation  in  time  or 
by  death.  (3)  Let  the  board  of  control,  by  whatever  name 
called,  be  limited  to  a  fixed  convenient  number,  and  divided 
into  three  or  five  classes  ;  the  first  class  to  serve  one  year, 
the  second,  two  years,  and  so  on,  from  the  time  of  the  first 
election,  but  each  class  thereafter  to  serve  three  or  five  years, 
according  to  the  number  of  classes.  (4)  Let  the  members 
of  this  board  of  control  be  distributed  among  our  several 
state  associations  proportionately,  according  to  the  number 
of  churches;  the  said  members  to  be  nominated  (in  cases 
where  their  election  would  endanger  trust  funds)  by  their  re- 
spective state  associations  to  the  board  of  control  or  society 
which  shall  elect  them  members,  thus  preserving  the  legal 
continuity  of  the  corporation  beyond  a  technical  peradven- 
ture.  (5)  Let  the  said  board  constitute  the  legal  society 
which  shall  elect  the  proper  officers  and  transact  the  business 
of  the  body,  electing  its  own  corporate  members  on  nomina- 
tion as  above.  (6)  Let  no  members  or  officers  of  auxiliaries 
have  membership  in  the  body.  (7)  Let  honorary  member- 
sliip,  if  continued,  be  based  on  pecuniary  gifts. 

This  plan  is  conservative,  if  revolutionary,  preserving  the 
charters  and  franchises  and  legal  status  of  the  societies,  while 
bringing  them  into  virtual  control  of  the  churches,  to  which 
appeals  may  legitimately  be  made  for  support,  since  the 
societies  will  then  be  theirs. 

§  222.  The  advantages  of  this  normal  relation  of  the 
churches  to  their  educational  and  missionary  work  may  be 
stated.  Any  thing,  even  a  good  thing,  out  of  its  true  rela- 
tions produces  friction  and  strife.  It  is  so  with  our  societies 
and  schools  until  they  become  the  direct  agencies  of  the 
churches.    Then  delegates  will  be  responsible  to  the  churches, 


322  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

can  be  questioned  as  to  their  management,  instructed,  cen- 
sured, without  violating  the  courtesy  which  should  exist  be- 
tween an  officer  of  an  independent  institution  speaking  by 
grace,  and  churches  having  no  voice  in  the  management  of 
said  institution.  Then,  too,  appeals  for  money  or  for  stu- 
dents or  missionaries  could  be  made  to  the  proper  constitu- 
ents. If  a  school  or  society  be  wholly  controlled  by  trustees, 
or  by  corporate  or  life  members,  it  becomes  the  affair  of  those 
trustees  or  members,  like  a  business  firm ;  and  in  pinching 
emergencies,  as  at  all  times,  the  proper  appeal  is  not  to  the 
churches,  but  to  its  own  managing  constituency.  If  the 
school  or  society  be  the  agent  of  the  churches  for  doing  a 
common  work,  why  should  not  that  fact  appear  in  its  manage- 
ment? Is  it  the  whole  duty  of  the  churches  to  give  money 
and  men  and  prayers?  It  becomes  them  as  independent 
churches,  able  and  required  to  manage  their  own  affairs,  to 
manage  their  common  business  as  their  individual  affairs,  and 
so  to  make  the  work  wholly  their  own. 

§  223.  It  may  be  objected  that  the  giving  is  individual, 
and  that,  therefore,  the  educational,  benevolent,  and  mission- 
ary institutions  should  rest  on  individual  membership.  But 
if  this  be  true  of  one  part  of  the  Christian  service,  why  does 
it  not  also  cover  all  parts,  as  praying,  singing,  worship,  and 
so  abolish  church  organizations?  Besides,  if  the  duty  and 
work  be  purely  individual,  why  should  churches  and  associa- 
tions be  called  upon  to  take  action  thereon  ?  Why  are  reso- 
lutions desired  from  such  bodies  ?  The  fact  is  that  missions 
began  in  churches.  The  church  in  Jerusalem  was  scattered 
abroad  that  it  might  the  better  preach  the  Christ.  When 
the  Holy  Spirit  would  send  out  Paul  and  Barnabas,  he  did 
not  directly  call  them,  but  laid  the  duty  upon  the  Antiochian 
church  to  separate  them  and  ordain  them  for  the  missionary 
work.  It  was  the  church  that  "  laid  their  hands  on  them  " 
and  with  prayer  and  fasting  "  sent  them  away  "  (Acts  13 : 
1-3).  On  their  return  Paul  and  Barnabas  reported  to  the 
assembled  church  "  all  things  that  God  had  done  with  them  " 


LEGAL  RELATIONS   OF  CHURCHES.  323 

(Acts  14 :  27).  Missions  then  were  sustained  by  clmrch 
collections.  "I  robbed  other  churches,  taking  wages  of 
them  that  I  might  minister  unto  you"  (2  Cor.  11:  8).  In 
matters,  too,  of  benevolence  "the  churches  of  Macedonia" 
contributed  liberally  for  the  impoverished  saints  of  Judgea 
(2  Cor.  8 :  1-4).  The  churches  a^jpointed  an  agent  to  aid 
Paul  in  administering  their  gifts  (2  Cor.  8 :  19).  The 
churches  were  active  also  in  other  benevolences  (Acts  6: 
1-6;  1  Tim.  5:  16).  Churches  worship,  act,  and  labor  only 
through  individual  members.  Yet  churches  are  ordained 
by  Christ  to  carry  on  evangelization  in  all  its  departments 
as  certainly  as  to  conduct  worship,  administer  sacraments,  or 
do  any  thing  else. 

Paul  had  this  view  of  the  matter  when  he  wrote :  "  Now 
concerning  the  collection  for  the  saints,  as  I  gave  order  to 
the  churches  of  Galatia,  so  also  do  ye.  Upon  the  first  day 
of  the  week  let  each  one  of  you  lay  by  him  in  store,  as  he 
may  prosper,  that  no  collections  be  made  when  I  come " 
(1  Cor.  16:  1,  2).  This  was  addressed  to  a  church,  as  Paul 
had  ordered  the  Galatian  churches.  The  individual  is  to 
work  in  and  through  the  church,  as  the  local  churches  are 
the  life  centers  and  the  organic  integers  of  Christian  labors 
and  growth.  Individualism  is  not  the  law  of  Christ,  even  in 
missions.  Disintegration  and  death  follow  all  attempts  to 
reduce  Christianity  to  individual  endeavor  and  life.  Chris- 
tianity is  union,  communion,  fellowship,  in  labors  as  in  creed 
and  life. 


LEGAL   RELATIONS    OF    CHURCHES. 

§  224.  It  is  manifest  that  churches,  though  independent, 
must  hold  some  tangible  relations  to  the  civil  power.  They 
acquire  and  convey  real  estate,  raise  and  disburse  moneys, 
erect  and  own  buildings,  and  must  therefore  appear  in  court 
as  subject  to  the  law  in  certain  respects.  Under  the  patri- 
archal dispensation  the  Church  and  State  were  combined  in 


324  THE   (JHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

the  family,  and  there  was  no  need  of  exact  relations  between 
them  as  respects  property.  Under  the  ceremonial  dispensa- 
tion the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  codes  mingled,  and  so  the 
relation  of  the  one  to  the  other  was  most  intimate  and 
mixed.  We  have  to  do  with  the  church-kingdom  as  mani- 
fested in  local  churches.  As  it  is  both  spiritual  and  ecu- 
menical, it  can  not  be  divided  up  into  national  segments,  nor 
can  it  have  a  civil  and  political  rule  among  the  nations  it 
brings  into  discipleship. 

§  225.  The  churches  are  independent  of  the  State  as  to 
their  spiritual  function,  but  dependent  upon  the  State  as  to 
their  property  matters.  The  Christ  and  his  apostles  and  dis- 
ciples were  rejected  both  by  the  ecclesiastical  (Mark  14: 
61-64 ;  John  9 :  22)  and  by  the  civil  authority  (Matt.  27 : 
1,  2,  26;  Acts  4:  27).  And  the  infant  Church  was  con- 
fronted by  both  these  powers  (Acts  4  :  1 ;  12 :  1,  2)  ;  but  in 
defiance  of  both,  the  apostles  asserted  the  supreme  right  and 
duty  of  preaching  the  gospel,  if  need  be,  against  the  civil 
and  ecclesiastical  power  (Acts  4:  19,  20;  5:  29).  Never- 
theless, they  taught  obedience  to  the  civil  powers  as  to  an 
ordinance  of  God  (Rom.  13:  1-7;  Titus  3:  1;  1  Peter  2: 
13-17).  The  explanation  is  to  be  sought  and  found  in 
Christ's  own  teaching :  "  Render  unto  Caesar  the  things  that 
are  Csesar's,  and  unto  God  the  things  that  are  God's  "  (Mark 
12 :  17).  Hence,  while  asserting  their  right  and  duty  to 
preach  the  gospel  in  all  its  fullness,  the  apostles  rendered 
unto  Csesar  the  things  that  belonged  to  Caesar,  though  the 
Caesar  was  a  Nero.  Consequently  they  put  forth  no  civil 
laws,  as  Moses  did ;  and  they  never  attempted  to  govern  the 
churches  planted  by  them  in  a  civil  or  political  way.  They 
founded  churches,  in  their  functions  independent  of  the  State 
as  they  were  independent  one  of  another,  but  subject  to  the 
civil  power  as  the  ordinance  of  God  in  matters  within  its 
jurisdiction.  "  He  that  resisteth  the  power,  withstandeth 
the  ordinance  of  God"  (Rom.  13:  2).  And  believers  are 
"subject  to  every  ordinance  of   man  for  the   Lord's  sake: 


LEGAL  liELATIONS   OF   CHURCHES.  325 

whether  it  be  to  the  king,  as  supreme  ;  or  unto  governors,  as 
sent  by  him,"  etc.  (1  Peter  2 :  13,  14).  Thus  the  apostles 
separated  between  the  ecclesiastical  function  and  the  civil 
function,  regarding  each  as  an  ordinance  of  God,  and  forbid- 
ding each  to  trench  on  the  province  of  the  other. 

§  22(3.  The  apostolic  teachings  controlled  the  churches 
down  to  the  conversion  of  Constantine  and  the  union  of 
Church  and  State  under  this  Cajsar.  This  was  a  relapse  into 
Mosaism.  Constantine  published  an  edict  of  toleration  in 
A.D.  313.  He  also  restored  the  property  taken  from  Chris- 
tians in  the  persecutions.  He  interdicted  heathen  worship 
in  private,  but  tolerated  it  in  public.  He  forbade  officers  to 
sacrifice,  and  finally  forbade  the  erection  of  images  and  the 
performance  of  religious  sacrifices.  He  invested  the  church 
with  the  power  to  receive  and  hold  landed  property,  which 
led  to  the  slow  but  sure  accumulation  of  wealth  and  power. 
He  decreed,  a.d.  321,  the  observance  of  Sunday.  He  en- 
forced uniformity  in  obeying  the  decrees  of  the  Council  of 
Nice,  A.D.  325.  He  thus  introduced  the  sword  of  the  State 
to  enforce  the  decrees  of  the  Church.  The  change  from  ad- 
vice to  authority  in  the  decrees  of  synods,  or  conferences, 
came  not  from  polity,  but  from  State  intervention.^  "  What- 
ever weakness  there  was  in  the  bond  of  a  common  faith  was 
compensated  for  by  the  strength  of  civil  coercion."  ^  It  pre- 
vented schism,  and  therefore  reform.  The  Donatists  arose, 
A.D.  313,  and  continued  long  after  the  death  of  Constantine. 
"Their  soundness  in  the  faith  was  unquestionable.  They 
resolved  to  meet  together  as  a  separate  confederation,  the 
basis  of  which  should  be  a  greater  purity  of  life  ;  and  but  for 
the  interference  of  the  State  they  might  have  lasted  as  a 
separate  confederation  to  the  present  day."'  '"Let  all  her- 
esies,' says  a  law  of  Gratian  and  Valentinian,  '  forever  hold 
their  peace :  if  any  one  entertains  an  opinion  which  the 
Church  has  condemned,  let  him  keep  it  to  himself  and  not 
communicate  it  to  another.'  "  ^     This  was,  A.D.  381.     We  see 

^  Hatch's  Org.  Early  Christ.  Chhs.  166, 168.       «  Ibid.  177.        ■  Ibid.  17.i.         » Ibid.  170. 


326  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

here  the  sad  return  to  Mosaism  which  led  to  the  Papal 
tyranny.  That  Church  still  holds  as  an  infallible  utterance, 
that  the  Church  ought  not  to  be  separated  from  the  State, 
and  the  State  from  the  Church.^ 

§  227.  The  Great  Reformation  was  but  a  partial  return 
to  the  primitive  separation  of  Christian  churches  from  the 
civil  power.  The  reformers  announced  and  defended  the 
right  of  private  judgment  in  religious  matters,  the  corner- 
stone of  Protestantism,  but  past  habits  of  thought  and  of 
life,  conjoined  with  the  doleful  excesses  of  religious  fanatics, 
prevented  the  full  realization  in  practice  of  their  fundamental 
principle.  They  could  not  adjust  matters  so  as  to  "  render 
unto  Ctesar  the  things  that  are  Csesar's,  and  unto  God  the 
things  that  are  God's."  Probably  an  entire  separation  then 
between  Church  and  State  would  have  prevented  the  success 
of  the  Reformation.  It  was  better  to  gain  a  foothold  for  a 
complete  return  than  to  have  attempted  completeness  at 
first  and  have  failed.  Yet  Luther  ^'^  apprehended  the  true 
idea  of  the  church-kingdom  as  separated  from  the  State,  as 
did  Zwingle^^  and  other  reformers  ;i2  but  neither  he  nor 
they  could  effect  an  entire  separation.^^  Calvin  used  the 
temporal  power  to  suppress  heresies.^^  Had  it  not  been  for 
the  aid  which  the  State  gave  the  reformers,  the  Reformation 
would  probably  have  perished  altogether  under  the  terrible 
persecutions  and  wars  which  the  Roman  Church  instituted 
and  instigated,  as  it  perished  in  Italy,  Spain,  France,  and 
Bohemia.  A  foothold  was  gained  for  future  conquests ;  and 
soon  a  nearer  approach  was  made  in  the  Puritan  reformation 
in  England  and  America.  The  Puritans  included  two  wings, 
the  Presbyterian  and  the  Congregational,  or  Independent. 
The  Presbyterians  clung  tenaciously  to  the  union  of  Church 
and  State,  uniting  the  two  in  Scotland,  and  attempting  it  in 

»  Syllabus  of  Errors,  No.  55.        i"  Fisher's  Hist.  Reformation,  488,  489.        "  Ibid.  495. 
>2  Augsburg  Conf.  art.  xvi.  "  Palfrey's  Hist.  New  Eng.  ii,  71. 

"  Fisher's  Hist.  Kef.  496,  seq. ;  D'Aubigne's  Hist.  Kef.  of  Calvin,  iii,  197. 


SEPAEATION  OF  CHUBCH  AND    STATE.  327 

England.^^  They  failed  in  England  only  through  the  more 
rapid  growth  of  the  Congregationalists  under  Cromwell,  who 
gave  a  larger  liberty  to  that  country.  After  the  Restoration 
the  persecutions  confirmed  them  in  their  love  of  free  churches 
separated  from  the  State.  From  the  first,  both  wings  of  the 
Puritans  were  persecuted,  and  one  reason  may  be  found  in 
the  favorite  expression  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  who,  Avhen  she 
had  any  business  to  bring  about  among  the  people,  used,  as 
she  said,  ''  to  tune  the  pulpits."  ^'^  For  she  found  it  harder 
to  tune  free  pulpits  than  those  of  the  Established  Church, 
which,  like  their  organs,  were  easily  tuned  by  one  who  held 
in  her  hands  appointments,  promotions,  and  salaries.  Thus 
dependent,  ambitious  prelates  sung  the  tune  ordered  by 
ambitious  politicians  or  by  the  crafty  queen. 

§  228.  The  return  in  America  to  the  Scriptural  relation 
between  the  Church  and  the  State  requires  notice.  At  first 
the  Puritan  settlers  of  the  Massachusetts  Colony  attempted 
a  church-state,  in  which  none  but  church  members  could 
vote  and  hold  office,  the  Church  thus  ruling  the  State.  The 
same  was  true  of  the  New  Haven  Colony.  The  Plymouth 
and  Connecticut  Colonies  were  a  little  more  liberal,  though 
there  the  suffrage  was  put  under  special  limitations.  The 
general  courts  were  the  annual  assemblies  of  the  churches 
in  the  respective  colonies,  enacting  ecclesiastical  and  civil 
laws.  The  churches  ruled  through  tlie  civil  power.  "  After 
all  that  may  be  said,"  wrote  Hutchinson,  "  of  the  constitu- 
tion [of  the  churches  in  Massachusetts],  the  strength  of  it 
lay  in  the  union  .  .  .  with  the  civil  authority.  The  usual 
way  of  deciding  differences  and  controversies  in  churches,  it 
is  true,  was  by  a  council  consisting  of  the  elders  and  other 
messengers  of  neighboring  churches ;  and  where  there  was  a 
general  agreement  in  such  councils,  the  contending  parties 
generally  acquiesced ;  but  if  the  council  happened  to  differ 
in  apprehensions  among  themselves,  or  if  either  of  the  con- 
tending parties  were  contumacious,  it  was  a  common  thing- 
's Palfrey's  Hist.  New  Eng.  ii,  79, 101.  i*  Hanbury's  Memorials,  i,  478. 


328  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

for  the  civil  magistrate  to  interpose  and  put  an  end  to  the 
dispute."'  ^"  The  churches  gave  them  their  warrant  to  inter- 
pose ;  ^^  and  the  frequency  and  nature  of  their  interposition 
have  been  noted  (§  193:  3,  note).^^ 

But  while  "there  was  a  real  union  between  Church  and 
State,"  there  was  "  a  radical  difference  in  the  form  of  the 
connection  between  the  State  and  the  churches  here,  and 
between  the  Church  and  State  in  the  mother  country.  Here 
there  were  many  churches,  nearly  independent  of  each  other; 
there  the  Church  was  one  body.  Here  the  churches  elected 
their  own  pastors ;  there  ministers  were  imposed  by  the  civil 
government  or  by  patrons.  Here  the  civil  government  never 
assumed  or  exercised  the  power  of  deciding  on  matters  of 
doctrine  and  discipline,  but  always  called  together  represen- 
tatives of  the  churches  freely  chosen  to  determine  such  mat- 
ters ;  there  they  were  determined  and  established  ultimately 
by  the  civil  power.  Here,  if  the  proceedings  of  the  magis- 
trates were  supposed  to  bear  hard  on  the  liberties  of  the 
churches,  they  could  be,  and  sometimes  were,  displaced 
at  the  next  annual  election ;  there,  there  was,  in  such  cases, 
no  redress."  ^'^ 

These  elements  of  liberty  finally  worked  a  complete  sepa- 
ration between  Church  and  State  in  New  England,  as  in  the 
rest  of  the  United  States.  But  the  union  entailed  upon  the 
Congregational  churches  that  established  it  evils  from  which 
they  have  not  yet  cleared  themselves.  The  chief  of  these 
evils  we  must  dwell  upon. 

§  229.  The  town  church  was  changed  into  the  parish  sys- 
tem of  church  and  society.  A  town  meeting  in  any  town  in 
Massachusetts  and  New  Haven  was  also  at  first  a  church 
meeting.  In  it  the  members  of  the  church  assembled  to 
transact  both  ecclesiastical  and  civil  business,  to  build 
a  meeting-house  and  to  build  a  bridge,  to  elect  a  deacon  and 
to  choose  a  member  of  the  General  Court,  to  call  a  pastor 

"  mat.  Mass.  i,  383.  "  Camb.  Plat.  chap.  xvii.  i"  New  Englander,  1873,  468-473. 

21  Wisner's  Hist.  Old  South  Church,  Boston,  2,  70. 


PARISH  SYSTEM.  329 

and  to  tax  the  inhabitants.  But  under  the  liberty  they  had 
introduced,  the  few  church  members  in  a  town  found  it  diffi- 
cult to  govern  and  tax  for  church  purposes  the  many  who 
were  not  members ;  so  in  1664  the  law  passed  in  1631,  lim- 
iting the  suffrage  to  church  members,  was  repealed.  There- 
after persons  who  were  Englishmen  could  become  freemen 
by  presenting  a  certificate  from  their  minister  that  they 
were  orthodox ;  a  certificate  from  the  selectmen  that  they 
were  freeholders,  ratable  "  to  the  full  value  of  ten  shillings, 
or  that  they  are  in  full  communion  with  some  church  amongst 
us ;  "  by  presenting  "  themselves  and  their  desires  "  to  the 
court  for  admittance  to  the  freedom  of  the  Commonwealth ; 
by  being  voted  in  by  the  General  Court ;  and  by  being 
twenty-four  years  old.^^ 

It  was  then  that  the  parish  became  wider  than  the  church ; 
for  it  included  all  the  voters  in  the  town,  whether  church  mem- 
bers or  not.  From  1631  to  1664  the  church  and  the  town  in 
the  Bay  Colony  were  one  in  membership,  though  dual  in 
function.  After  1664  they  were  dual  in  form  and  function, 
though  closely  united.  The  church  admitted  its  own  mem- 
bers and  elected  its  own  deacons,  but  not  its  pastor,  except 
in  concurrent  action  with  the  town.  For  the  town  still 
claimed  and  exercised  the  same  right  it  had  before  of  calling 
a  minister,  since  it  taxed  the  whole  township  to  pay  him,  as 
also  to  build  and  repair  the  meeting-house.  There  arose  at 
once  questions  about  the  limitations  of  the  church  in  choos- 
ing and  ordaining  its  pastor,  which  the  General  Court,  in 
1668,  imperfectly  answered  ;  ^  for  from  1664  to  the  present 
time  the  relation  of  church  and  parish  has  caused  untold 
trouble  and  loss.^ 

=>  Col.  Records,  iv,  part  ii,  118. 

"  Ibid.  396. 

^  The  troubles  referred  to  in  §  103  :  3,  and  note  8,  were  partly  of  this  nature.  But 
more :  "  Tlie  committee  of  New  Haven  for  settlinj^  the  town  of  Wallingford,  which 
was  settled  in  16(!!i,  for  tlie  safety  of  the  churcli  obliged  the  undertakers  and  all  the 
successive  planters  to  subscribe  the  following  engai,'ement,  namely  :  '  He  or  they  shall 
not  by  any  means  disturb  the  churcli,  when  settled  there,  in  their  choice  of  minister  or 
ministers  or  other  church  olUcers,  or  in  any  other  church  rights,  liberties,  or  adniinia- 
tratlous;  nor  shall  withdraw  due  maintenance  from  such  ministry.'    This  shows  how 


330  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

The  town  parish  gradually  passed  over  into  our  present 
ecclesiastical  society,  owning  all  the  church  property  and  col- 
lecting and  paying  all  moneys  for  church  buildings,  salary, 
and  running  expenses ;  while  the  church  admits,  disciplines, 
and  dismisses  members,  fixes  the  order  of  services,  adopts 
a  creed,  elects  deacons,  and  has  a  concurrent  vote  —  which 
amounts  only  to  a  nomination  —  with  the  parish  or  society. 
The  parish  societ}'"  controls  the  church  edifice  and  holds  the 
purse-strings.  Thus  the  church-town  became  a  dual  system 
of  church  and  society,  as  abnormal  as  the  Siamese  twins. 

In  nearly  every  state  in  the  Union  the  laws  provide  for  the 
incorporation  of  chui"ches  as  such  without  an  ecclesiastical 
society.  In  a  few  states  the  qualifications  of  voters  in  reli- 
gious corporations  are  determined  by  statute  laws  ;  but  in  the 
other  states  the  religious  corporations  define  their  own  voters 
in  by-laws.     In  all  cases  conditions  are  required  for  member- 

strongly  the  churches  in  this  part  of  the  colony  were  at  that  time  opposed  to  town  and 
parishes  having  any  thing  to  do  in  the  choice  of  a  minister,  or  in  any  church  affairs."  — 
Felt's  Eccl.  Hist.  New  Eng.  ii,.561.  The  same  trouble  arose  in  the  Bay  Colony.  In 
1719  it  was  said  :  "  Many  people  would  not  allow  the  church  any  privilege  to  go  before 
them  in  the  choice  of  a. pastor.  The  clamor  is:  We  must  maintain  him."  The  churches 
had  then  become  so  helpless  in  the  hands  of  the  parish,  that  it  is  said,  "  they  do  some- 
times, by  their  voie,  make  a  nomination  of  three  or  four  candidates;  for  every  one  of 
whom  the  majority  of  the  brethren  have  so  voted  that  whomsoever  of  these  the  choice 
falls  upon,  it  may  still  be  said  :  The  church  has  chosen  him.  And  then  they  bring  this 
nomination  unto  the  other  inhabitants  to  join  with  them  in  a  vote  that  shall  determine 
which  of  them  shall  be  the  man."  — Mather's  Ratio  Dis.  art.  ii,  §§'2,  3. 

The  same  abnormal  condition  of  independent  churches  has  been  lately  (1885) 
expressed  in  a  compact  between  a  church  and  its  society,  in  these  words:  "In  calling 
■a  pastor,  the  society  and  church  shall  act  as  concurrent  bodies,  a  majority  of  each 
being  necessary  to  constitute  a  call;  the  vote  of  the  churcli  shall  be  considered  as  a 
nomination  wliich  shall  be  confirmed  or  rejected  by  the  vote  of  the  society." 

But  this  bondage  is  not  even  the  worst  phase  of  the  evil  inherited  from  the  union  of 
Church  and  State.  It  is  easy  for  a  parish  to  exclude  evangelical  preaching  fi-om  the 
pulpit,  and  so  bring  in  heresy  and  apostasy.  The  parish  system  played  a  fatal  part  in 
the  Unitarian  defection  in  Massachusetts  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  by 
which  "  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  places  of  worship,  witli  their  appurtenances  of 
parish  and  church  funds,  were  lost  to  tlie  cause  of  evangelical  religion  and  gained  to 
its  opposite."  —  Clark's  Cong.  Chhs.  in  Mass.  270. 

Our  churches  did  not  see  the  bearing  of  the  law  they  passed  enlarging  the  suffrage 
and  so  bringing  in  the  parish  system.  The  law  reduced  them  from  complete  control  in 
town  and  state  to  bondage  to  the  town  parish;  and  they  did  not  take  to  their  degrada- 
tion kindly.  For  in  lG97"a  letter  of  admonition  was  voted  by  the  second  church 
[Boston,  Mass.]  to  the  church  in  Charlestown,  for  betraying  the  liberties  of  the 
churches  in  their  late  putting  into  the  hands  of  the  whole  inhabitants  the  choice  of 
a  minister."  —  Bobbin's  Hist.  Second  Church,  18.)-2,  42. 


LEGAL  EXISTENCE.  331 

ship,  as,  stated  attendance  on  divine  worship,  regular  contri- 
butions to  the  support  of  said  worship,  adult  age,  and  enroll- 
ment. The  conditions  are  other  than  church  menibersliip. 
This  ecclesiastical  society  is  the  legal  corporation,  having 
officers,  records,  and  meetings  distinct  from  those  of  the 
church  in  connection  with  it  (§  138 :  3). 

§  230.  The  parish,  or  society,  in  Massachusetts  contained 
the  legal  existence  of  the  church  in  connection  with  it. 
This  was  not  seen  until  the  Unitarian  defection  brought  the 
relation  between  the  church  and  its  parish  into  court,  when, 
in  the  celebrated  Dedham  case,^  1820,  the  court  held  that  in 
Massachusetts  a  church  could  not  exist  without  a  parish. 
Their  words  were :  "  A  church  can  not  subsist  without  some 
religious  community  to  which  it  is  attached."  "  Churches 
can  not  exercise  any  control  over  property  which  they  may 
have  held  in  trust  for  the  society  with  which  they  have  been 
formerly  connected."  "  As  to  all  civil  purposes,  the  secession 
of  a  whole  church  from  a  parish  would  be  an  extinction  of 
the  church ;  and  it  is  competent  to  the  members  of  the  par- 
ish to  institute  a  new  church,  or  to  engraft  one  upon  the  old 
stock  if  any  of  it  should  remain  ;  and  this  new  church  would 
succeed  to  all  the  rights  of  the  old  in  relation  to  the  parish."  ^^ 
This  decision  was  re-affirmed  in  1830.^^  These  decisions  of 
the  Supreme  Court  still  stand  as  the  proper  interpretation  of 
the  relation  of  a  church  to  its  parish,  as  inherited  from  the 
original  union  of  Church  and  State.  The  churches  protested 
against  the  decision,  but  no  relief  has  come,  unless  through 
statutory  laws. 

Whatever  should  be  the  decisions  in  other  states,  the  fact 
would  still  remain  that  wherever  this  relic  of  the  union  of 
Church  and  State  exists,  the  parish  or  society  has  power  to 
dead-lock  the  church  in  the  call  of  a  pastor,  and  so  to  em- 
barrass the  church,  if  not  to  turn  it  out  of  the  church  edi- 
fice.     No  other  churches  anywhere,  under  any  jjolity,  were 

-*  Baker  vs.  Fales,  It;  Mass.  Repts.  4S8.  »  16  Mass.  503,  seq. 

2«  10  Pick.  171. 


332  THE  CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

ever  more  completely  in  subjection  to  a  power  largely  outside 
and  independent  of  themselves.  The  parish  could  legally  bar 
the  door  of  the  pulpit  against  the  pastor  the  church  had 
chosen,  and  strip  the  church  of  every  item  of  property,  funds, 
communion  service,  and  life  itself,  if  it  would  not  yield. 
The  result  of  union  with  the  State  was  that  the  Church  was 
bereft  of  liberty  and  independent  life. 

American  Congregationalism  has  had  an  abnormal  develop- 
ment:—  (1)  in  the  dual  organization  of  church  and  society, 
and  (2)  in  the  voluntary  societies  for  missionary  labors.  The 
first  is  the  direct  outgrowth  of  the  union  of  Church  and  State, 
and  the  second  is  the  indirect  outgrowth  of  the  same.  Our 
fathers  relied  on  the  civil  arm,  then  on  the  parish  system, 
until  they  held  the  churches  incompetent  to  transact  their 
own  affairs  in  evangelizing  the  world.  Our  English  brethren 
were  fortunately  kept  from  all  these  aberrations. 

§  231.  It  is  time  to  return  to  the  Christian  relation  of 
churches  to  the  State.  We  have  shown  (§  129)  that  the 
Church  is  an  ordinance  of  God,  and  that  the  State  (§  225) 
is  also  an  ordinance  of  God ;  and  each  is  to  be  kept  to  its 
proper  function.  The  State  may  not  say  what  the  churches 
shall  believe  and  preach,  or  when,  or  where,  or  how,  or  by 
whom  ;  only  so  that  the  creed  and  teachings  be  not  immoral, 
like  polygam3^  And  the  churches  may  not  say  what  the 
State  shall  do  or  not  do,  in  constitutions,  laws,  policies,  and 
courts ;  only  so  that  it  do  not  trench  on  morality  and  church 
rights.  Each  ordinance  must  fulfill  its  function,  judging  of 
its  own  proper  jurisdiction.  Between  the  two  realms  there 
is  a  border-land  of  doubt  which  only  experience  can  settle. 

The  State  is  not  irreligious,  because  its  own  sphere  is  not 
to  preach  the  gospel ;  and  the  Church  is  not  lawless,  because 
its  own  sphere  is  not  to  legislate  and  divide  inheritances 
(Luke  12:  14).  The  State,  as  an  ordinance  of  God,  is  bound 
to  rule  in  righteousness  and  to  foster  religion ;  and  the  Church 
is  bound  to  obey  the  laws  and  to  teach  loyalty ;  and  both  co- 
operate in  securing  the  well-being  of  men  in  time  and  in 


RELATION  OF  CHUBCH  AND  STATE.  333 

eternity.  To  combine  them  into  one,  or  to  make  either  sub- 
ordinate to  the  other,  works  disaster,  as  fifteen  and  a  half 
centuries  prove.  Yet  these  ordinances  of  (rod  must  touch 
each  other  in  these  several  points :  — 

(1)  The  State  must  regulate  the  holding  of  church  prop- 
erty. Property  falls  within  the  legitimate  function  of  the 
State  to  regulate  and  protect.  The  churches  must  acquire, 
hold,  and  convey  real  and  personal  property  so  far  as  these 
things  are  necessary  for  its  proper  function.  To  carry  on 
business  or  to  accumulate  vast  wealth  does  not  fall  within 
the  sphere  of  church  life,  and  they  are  prejudicial  to  the 
public  welfare  ;  and  so  the  State  may  limit  church  activity 
and  acquisition.  Whatever  property  is  needful  for  neces- 
sary uses  the  State  may  bring  under  its  laws  of  acquisition, 
tenure,  and  transfer. 

(2)  The  State  may  regulate  the  taxation  of  church  prop- 
erty. It  may  exempt  it  altogether  from  taxation,  as  has 
been  the  almost  universal  custom  in  Christian  lands,  because 
the  Church  serves  the  State  in  morals,  good  order,  and  pros- 
perity, and  because  the  Church,  like  the  State,  is  a  divine 
ordinance ;  or  it  may  tax  church  projjerty  when  it  exceeds 
a  certain  amount,  in  order  to  prevent  the  massing  of  great 
wealth  in  churches ;  or  it  may  tax  all  church  property  the 
same  as  other  property.  Whatever  exemption  is  allowed 
must  be  defended  not  on  the  ground  of  evangelization,  nor 
on  the  ground  that  the  property  is  taken  from  business  chan- 
nels and  devoted  to  moral  and  religious  culture,  but  on  the 
ground  of  public  benefit,  the  churches  being  the  best  nurs- 
eries of  morals,  good  order,  loyalty,  and  peace. 

(3)  The  State  may  regulate  the  teaching  of  religion  and 
morals  in  its  schools.  It  does  not  fall  within  the  sphere  of 
state  schools  of  any  and  all  grades  to  teach  religion  or  mor- 
als, for  spiritual  ends ;  yet  as  morality,  more  than  education, 
is  essential  to  good  citizenship,  good  order,  and  permanent 
prosperity,  the  State  is  more  bound  to  teach  it  in  its  schools 
than   to   teach   literature    or  science    or  even  the  common 


334  THE    CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

branches.  But  as  morality,  to  be  effective,  must  have  the 
sanction  of  religion  in  its  grand  doctrines  of  God,  sin,  and 
retribution,  the  State  is  bound  to  teach  this  needed  sanction. 
Hence  the  Bible,  or  selections  from  it,  should  be  a  text-book 
in  every  state  school,  as  teaching  the  highest  morals  and 
giving  the  best  sanction  of  morality.  This  is  needed  to  keep 
our  schools  from  godless  secularity  and  refined  corruption. 
Certainly,  whatever  moral  and  religious  instruction  is  neces- 
sary to  give  purity  and  permanency  to  the  State,  the  State 
has  the  divine  right  to  teach,  leaving  to  the  chuiehes  the 
rest. 

(4)  The  State  may  regulate  the  worship  of  the  churches 
in  some  respects.  Hence  church  assemblies  are  protected  by 
the  State  from  disturbers,  in  some  states  the  church  officers 
being  empowered  to  arrest  at  sight  and  deliver  for  trial  those 
who  disturb  the  worship.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
churches  or  religious  assemblies  must  not  themselves  be- 
come disturbers  of  the  peace  in  their  doctrines,  their  wor- 
ship, their  discipline,  and  their  practices.  The  State  protects 
the  day  of  rest  and  of  worship.  The  original  Sabbath  was 
a  religious  day  solely  (Gen.  2:  2,  3).  The  Mosaic  Sabbath 
was  both  a  religious  day  (Ex.  20 :  8-11 ;  31 :  13-17)  and  a 
civil  institution  (Ex.  16:  23-30;  35:  3).  The  Christian 
Sunday  is  a  religious  institution  (Matt.  24:  20;  Acts  2: 
1-4 ;  Rev.  1 :  10)  which  the  State  might  not  regulate  or 
interfere  with  but  for  the  fact  that  a  day  of  rest  every  week 
has  also  a  pliysical  and  moral  foundation.  The  cessation  of 
labor  on  Sunda}',  or  on  some  other  week-day,  is  necessary  to 
the  welfare  of  a  people,  and  hence  the  State  may  not  only 
foster  the  religious  observance  of  the  day,  but  also  enforce 
the  cessation  of  labor  upon  it. 

(5)  The  State  may  regulate  the  discipline  of  the  Church  in 
some  particulars.  It  may  keep  the  discipline  within  ecclesi- 
astical limits,  and  prevent  the  infliction  of  fines,  corporal 
punishment,  imprisonment,  and  the  like.  It  will  protect 
parties    acting   in   good   faith   within    the    proper   limits   of 


CHURCH  PROPERTY  AND   THE  STATE.  335 

church  d.iscii)line  (§  179).  Majorities  may  not  violate 
"particuhxr  and  general  laws  of  the  denomination  to  which 
they  belong,"  nor  transcend  the  scope  of  their  jurisdiction.^^ 

(6)  The  State  may  regulate  the  alienation  of  church  prop- 
erty. And  here  we  will  quote  from  the  lion.  William  Law- 
rence, of  Ohio,  who  fortifies  his  statements  by  an  abundance 
of  legal  authorities  and  references  :  — 

"  The  religious  congregations  which  adopt  the  independent 
form  of  church  government  generally  recognize  some  stand- 
ard of  faith  or  creed,  but  not  one  which  is  unchangeable. 
Some  congregations  may  be  so  constituted  as  to  have  defi- 
nite articles  of  religion,  with  property  held  for  those  who 
adhere  to  them,  unchangeable  entirely  or  in  part  by  the 
action  of  any  church  authority.  But  generally  property  is 
held  by  or  for  each  congregation,  subject  to  its  right  to 
control  it  and  change  the  doctrines  for  the  propagation  of 
which  it  is  designed  to  be  used  according  to  its  policy  and 
usage."  "^ 

"  In  independent  congregations  generally,  a  majority  con- 
trol  the  use  of  property,  aud  a  change  of  religious  tenets 
does  not  affect  the  right  of  the  majority  unless  otherwise 
clearly  provided  by  special  trust."  "  '•  Courts  will  interpose 
to  prevent  the  diversion  of  funds  appropriated  to  promote 
the  teaching  of  particular  religious  doctrines,'  even  if  sanc- 
tioned by  a  majority  of  a  church."  "  An  independent  society 
may  have  property  devoted  for  specified  doctrines,  which  a 
majority  can  not  pervert."  "  The  Legislature  and  the  courts 
have  in  some  instances  gone  far  in  sanctioning  a  change  or 
perversion  of  trusts."  ^ 

A  change  in  the  creed  of  a  church  does  not  vacate  title  to 
property  where  the  title  vests  in  the  said  church  by  puichase 
in  fee  simple ;  nor  does  change  in  ecclesiastical  connection ; 
but  if  the  title  vests  in  the  church  as  holding  a  particular 
faith  or  polity,  the  majority  can  not  change  the  faith  or  polity 

"  See  cases  12  Am.  Law.  Reg.  X.  S.  344,  345.  ^  Ibid.  332-336. 

29  Ibid.  356,  seq.,  notes  53,  54. 


336  THE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

and  hold  the  property .^^  A  denominational  name,  with  con- 
temporaneous acts,  may  define  the  trust  in  respect  to  doc- 
trines deemed  fundamental.^^  The  church  may  before  change 
and  division  agree  upon  an  equitable  partition  of  property, 
but  not  for  private  purposes.^ 

The  law  protects  a  church  from  seceders,  as  seceders  for- 
feit all  rights  in  property  by  withdrawal,  and  that,  too, 
whether  they  are  a  minority  or  a  majority  of  the  body.^ 
The  title  to  the  church  property  of  a  divided  church  is  in 
that  part,  though  a  minority,  which  adheres  to  the  ecclesias- 
tical laws,  usages,  and  principles  of  the  denomination  under 
which  the  church  was  constituted.^ 

The  same  principles  apply,  we  may  suppose,  to  union  vol- 
untary societies  (§  218 :  2)  and  their  funds.  The  with- 
drawal of  any  denomination  from  such  societies  cancels  all 
the  rights  legal  and  moral  of  that  denomination  in  the  prop- 
erty and  funds  of  said  societies,  and  leaves  the  denomination 
that  remains  in  these  societies  the  sole  and  complete  owner 
of  all  the  property,  with  the  full  right  to  use  all  trust  funds 
as  it  may  deem  wise,  subject  only  to  special  conditions  im- 
posed in  the  bequests  conveying  the  trust  funds. 

If  a  church  unite  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
for  example,  the  act  of  uniting  places  both  the  property  of 
the  said  church  under  the  control  of  the  Methodist  Confer- 
ence, and  also  its  pulpit.  Its  building  and  land  "  no  longer 
remain  under  the  direction  and  control  of  the  members  of 
said  church,  but  under  the  direction  and  control  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Conference."  The  refusal  of  the  trus- 
tees of  a  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  to  receive  a  preacher 
appointed  by  the  bishop  is  an  act  of  insubordination  to  the 
ecclesiastical  tribunals  of  that  Church,  and  the  violation 
of    one    of   the    injunctions  of    its  discipline ;    and    so    the 

30  6  Ohio,  363 ;  16  Ohio,  583 ;  Hale  vs.  Everett,  53  N.  H.  9. 

31  53  N.  H.  9;  16  Am.  Repts.  124, 125.  32 14  Ohio,  44. 
S3  14  Ohio  S.  31,  44 ;  5  Ohio.  289. 

3*  67  Penn.  St.  138;  5  Am.  Repts.  415;  69  Penn.  St.  462;  13  Am.  Repts.  275,  283;  12  Am. 
Law  Reg.  N.  S.  359,  note  55,  where  many  cases  are  cited. 


CHURCH  COMITY.  337 

courts  will  issue  a  peremptory  mandamus,  commanding  them 
to  admit  the  preacher  thus  appointed  as  pastor  of  the 
church.^ 

COMITY   AMONG   CHURCHES. 

§  232.  Since  the  different  theories  of  the  church-kingdom 
develop  inevitably  into  separate  communions  or  denomina- 
tions, and  since,  through  the  imperfection  of  the  saints,  de- 
nominations are  formed  on  other  issues,  the  local  churches 
of  any  one  communion,  as  well  as  the  associations  of  those 
churches,  must  come  into  some  sort  of  relation  with  churches 
of  other  communions  and  with  their  ecclesiastical  assemblies. 
Hence  we  can  not  complete  our  view  without  considering  the 
relations  of  comity. 

(1)  Comity  assumes  the  right  of  private  judgment  as 
the  foundation  of  disagreements  among  churches,  and  the 
miity  of  the  church-kingdom  and  its  manifestation  as  the 
basis  of  fraternal  relations.  All  believers  in  Christ  are  "  a 
royal "  and  "  holy  priesthood,  to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices, 
acceptable  to  God  through  Jesus  Christ "  (1  Peter  2 :  5,  9), 
and  they  must  judge  what  sacrifices  are  thus  acceptable; 
and  being  assured  in  their  own  minds  (Rom.  14 :  5),  others 
can  not  interfere  with  their  beliefs  and  cultus,  since  they 
stand  or  fall  to  their  own  Lord  (Rom.  14:  4).  Yet  this 
Chi-istian  principle  has  had  a  hard  and  long  combat  to  regain 
its  divinely  appointed  place.  The  primitive  churches  en- 
joyed this  right  of  private  judgment,  but  when  the  Church 
and  State  were  united  under  Constantine,  uniformity  began 
to  be  enforced.  From  the  fourth  to  the  nineteenth  century 
this  inalienable  right  has  been  denied,  as  it  is  now  expressly 
denied,  by  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  which  calls  it  '^  the 
insanity."  ^  As  an  instance  of  its  denial  by  Congregatioual- 
ists  in  this  country,  take  the  law  passed  in  1742  in  Connecti- 
cut, forbidding  a  man  either  to  preach  or  to  exhort  within 

S6  Guild  vs.  Richards,  16  Mass.  Gray,  309;  People  vs.  State,  2  Barbour,  N.  Y.  397. 
as  Ency.  Letter,  Pius  IV,  Dec  8, 1864;  Syllabus  of  Errors,  No.  15. 


338  THE  CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

the  bounds  of  a  parish,  unless  the  consent  of  the  minister  of 
the  same  and  a  majority  of  the  parish  was  first  obtained.^' 
Under  this  hxw  "eminent  and  excellent  men,  like  Rev. 
Dr.  Finley,  afterwards  president  of  Princeton  College,  were 
arrested  and  punished."  ^  When  liberty  was  finally  secured 
in  this  country,  as  it  has  been,  the  pent-up  isms  multiplied 
denominations  into  wasteful  divisions  with  slight  and  non- 
essential differences.  A  wholesome  reaction  towards  union 
has  already  begun,  and  will  go  on  until  the  unity  of  the 
church-kingdom  will  be  organically  manifested. 

(2)  Comity  must  divide  communions  according  to  their 
essential  beliefs.  It  must  place  on  one  side  all  that  hold  the 
essential  doctrines  of  Christianity,  and  put  on  the  other  side 
all  that  deny  those  doctrines.  The  line  of  separation  is 
a  creed,  and  those  on  the  one  side  are  called  evangelical, 
while  those  on  the  other  side  are  called  unevangelical,  de- 
nominations. The  criterion  by  which  doctrines  and  prac- 
tices are  to  be  determined  as  fundamental  or  not  may  be 
found  in  Acts  11 :  17  ;  15 :  8-10.  It  is,  in  brief,  God's  rec- 
ognition of  churches  by  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Those 
which  God  so  recognizes,  his  churches  must  also  recognize ; 
and  those  that  God  does  not  so  recognize  as  his  churches, 
his  churches  must  not  recognize  in  their  fellowship.  This  is 
the  criterion  given  ;  its  application  depends  upon  the  written 
Word  and  experience.  The  evangelical  doctrines  are  held  by 
the  Orthodox  Greek  Church,  the  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
and  the  Armenian  Church,  though  overlaid  by  many  pervert- 
ing doctrines  and  practices,  and  by  almost  all  the  Protestant 
churches.  The  unevangelical  doctrines  are  held  by  Unitari- 
ans and  Universalists,  and  such  like  communities. 

(3)  Comity  requires  the  limited  fellowship  of  the  evangel- 
ical denominations.  Differing  only  in  matters  which  are  not 
essential,  these  churches  may  exchange  members,  ministers, 
and  pulpits ;  may  unite  in  communion  services ;  may  invite 
the  communicants  of  one  another  to  the  Lord's  table ;  may 

"  Contrib.  Eccl.  Hist,  of  Conn.  119.  ss  l\)\^x,  43^. 


CHUECH  COMITY.  339 

and  should  respect  one  another's  ordinations,  parishes,  peo- 
ple, and  mission  fields  ;  may  form  evangelical  alliances  ;  and 
may  join  in  meetings  and  labors.  In  union  meetings  and 
labors,  however,  it  should  be  remembered  :  — 

(a)  That  the  Lord  established  local  churches  as  the  cen- 
ters of  life  and  nurture  and  the  organic  factors  in  evangelis- 
tic labors.  Union  meetings  generall}'  run  across  this  line  of 
labor  and  violate  the  plan  of  the  Master.  Great  union  taber- 
nacle services  leave  the  converts  without  any  particular 
church  home,  and  surround  them  for  a  brief  period  with 
a  spectacular  environment  which  can  not  l)e  repeated  in  any 
church ;  and  hence  their  results  are  disappointing.  No  one 
can  hope  to  improve  upon  Christ's  plan  of  worship  and 
labor,  namely :  to  work  and  worship  in  local  church  homes, 
where  converts  can  be  known  and  cared  for ;  and  to  go  out 
from  these  spiritual  households  in  labors  of  evangelization. 

(K)  It  must  be  remembered  also  that  all  union  efforts  end 
in  denomination  results,  so  far  as  they  are  successful.  It  is 
so  logically  ;  it  has  been  so  historically ;  it  can  be  otherwise 
only  sentimentally.  For  every  believer  that  joins  a  church 
must  join  some  church  that  has  a  particular  creed  and  polity, 
a  denominational  church.  Every  dollar  given  for  union  pur- 
poses turns  up  at  last  with  a  denominational  stamp,  within 
denominational  folds.  It  can  not  be  otherwise  ;  *for  every 
church  that  is  formed  must  organize  into  itself  some  theory 
of  the  church-kingdom  (§§  44,  45),  which  theory  gives  it  at 
once  a  denominational  trend,  though  called  a  union  clmrch, 
or  simply  a  church  of  Christ,  and  which  in  time  brings  it 
into  denominational  connection.  If  mission  churches  in 
Japan  or  elsewhere  vote  to  discard  denominations  and  plant 
only  churches  of  Christ,  this  law  will  hold  them  like  gravita- 
tion, and  have  its  way,  until  those  churches  are  carried  to 
Rome,  or  to  Episcopacy,  or  to  Presbyterianism,  or  to  Congre- 
gationalism. And  the  constitutive  principle  (§  48)  most 
dominant  in  their  organization  and  their  environment  will 
determine  which  road  they  shall  take.     By  no  device  can  it 


340  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

be  otherwise,  for  a  principle  of  polity  is  stronger  than  love. 
It  has  destroyed  nearly  all  distinctive  union  societies  that 
have  been  established. 

((?)  We  should  remember  also  that  independent  churches 
under  Christ  are  what  Christ  planted  and  what  all  other  pol- 
ities seek  to  destroy.  Such  churches  are  the  germs  of  civil 
democracies.  It  was  "•  the  plan  of  the  apostles "  to  plant 
them,  to  leaven  the  world.  Comity  does  not  require  a  true 
polity  to  aid  and  abet  the  theories  that  seek  to  destroy  it. 
Through  mistakes  here,  thousands  of  churches,  in  their  ori- 
gin and  principles  free,  have  been  carried  over  into  a  central- 
ized polity.  Charity  does  not  require  that  churches  should 
thus  commit  suicide  to  please  polities  that  subvert  the  con- 
ceded independence  of  the  primitive  churches.  We  should 
care  for  the  form  of  polity  that  Christ  chose,  which  is  giving 
liberty  to  the  world. 

Remembering  these  tilings  our  churches  should  exhibit  in 
love  the  comity  that  should  ever  exist  between  churches  of 
Christ  which  can  not  yet  walk  together  because  they  are  not 
agreed. 

(4)  Comity  can  not  go  into  fellowship  with  unevangelical 
denominations.  Over  the  line  of  separation  there  can  be  no 
exchange  of  members,  of  ministers,  or  of  j)ulpits,  and  no  in- 
vitation to  the  eucharist  or  exchange  of  fraternal  greetings. 
Loyalty  to  Christ  demands  this.  He  said :  "  He  that  is  not 
with  me  is  against  me  "  (Matt.  12 :  30).  The  "  destructive 
heresies,"  "denying  even  the  Master  that  bought  them," 
bring  "swift  destruction  "  (2  Peter  2  :  1),  and  can  not  be  rec- 
ognized in  fellowship.  "  Whosoever  goeth  onward  and  abid- 
eth  not  in  the  teaching  of  Christ,  hath  not  God,"  and  must 
not  receive  even  the  "  greeting "  of  Christ's  followers  (2 
John  9,  10).  The  word  of  Christ  thus  limits  recognition. 
Reason  puts  the  same  limitation  upon  fellowship.  There 
can  be  no  true  fellowship  where  there  is  no  community  of 
belief,  life,  and  sympathy.  Two  can  not  walk  together  in 
fellowship  except   they   be    agreed.     When  a  minister   had 


THE  CHURCH  AND  THE  WOULD.  341 

renounced  even  the  name  Christian,  another  minister  of  the 
denomination  left  was  reported  to  have  written  and  published 
these  words :  "  I  had  rather  go  to  hell  with  Emerson  and 
Abbot  than  to  heaven  with  any  who  would  shut  them  out ; 
because  theirs  is  the  better  sj^irit.^^  Yet  the  Christ  whom 
Abbot  denied  said :  "  No  one  cometh  unto  the  Father,  but 
by  me  "  (John  14:  6).  What  fellowship  is  possible  between 
those  who  worship  Christ  and  those  who  refuse  his  name  ? 
or  the  denomination  that  tolerates  such  utterances?  None 
is  possible  ;  and,  if  any  were  possible,  loyalty  would  forbid  it. 
Yet  love,  not  coercion,  must  be  shown  them.  The  "  swift 
destruction  "  to  come  upon  them  must  not  be  inflicted  by 
the  churches  or  by  the  State.  They  have  the  right  of  private 
judgment  as  well  as  others.  The  Master  cares  for  his  own. 
And  the  "  all  things  "  that  work  for  the  good  of  his  own 
(Rom.  8 :  28)  work  also  for  the  overthrow  of  his  enemies 
(1  Cor.  15:  25).  Our  attitude  must  be  loyal  but  Christian. 
Love,  Christian  love,  that  admits  the  right  of  all  men  to 
form  their  own  opinions  under  their  personal  accountability 
to  God ;  that  seeks  to  give  them  truth  for  error,  Christ  for 
self ;  that  labors  to  win  them  unto  the  Saviour  of  the  world, 
—  tills  love  that  wins  while  it  disfelk)wships,  —  is  the  privi- 
lege and  duty  of  all  the  churches  of  Christ.  That  love,  to  be 
loyal,  must  disfellowship  all  who  deny  the  Lord  Jesus. 

THE   RELATION    OF   CHUECHES   TO   THE    WORLD. 

§  233.  The  church-kingdom  has  been  set  up  in  the  world, 
which  fact  brings  its  churches  into  relations  with  the  world. 
And  we  mean  by  "the  world"  unrenewed  humanity,  the 
world  that  lies  in  wickedness,  or  "  the  evil  one  "  (1  John  5  : 
19),  for  whose  redemption  God  sent  his  only  Son  (John  3 : 
16).  The  churches  of  Christ  touch  this  world.  They  stand 
in  relation  to  it  as  a  divine  institution  established  for  the 
very  purpose  of  converting  it,  of  turning  it  unto  God,  of 
lifting  it  out  of  sin  and  misery  into  holiness  and  joy.     For 


342  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

this  end  the  Church  has  been  endued  with  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  with  a  ministerial  function,  and  then  com- 
manded to  make  disciples  of  all  the  nations.  It  is  likened 
to  leaven,  the  mustard  seed,  and  is  called  the  salt  of  the 
earth,  the  light  of  the  world.  The  churches  are  to  do  more 
than  teach  the  world  of  God  and  Christ  and  salvation  — 
a  creed;  they  are  to  bring  into  the  world  righteousness, 
purity,  brotherly  love  —  a  life,  begotten  of  God,  which  shall 
remove  shi  and  misery.  They  are  commissioned  with  a  new 
religion,  revealed  from  God,  which  they  are  to  live  and  pro- 
claim. "Religion,  in  the  eye  of  a  Pagan,"  said  De  Quincy, 
"  had  no  more  relation  to  morals  than  it  had  to  shipbuilding 
and  trigonometry."  3^  It  is  the  sublime  mission  of  the 
churches  to  unite  religion  and  morality  in  a  reign  of  "  right- 
eousness and  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost"  (Rom.  14: 
17).  To  do  this  they  must  condemn  whatever  is  sinful  in 
itself  and  in  its  tendencies,  and  put  it  away.  They  must  go 
before  all  others  in  good  deeds.  They  must  not  conform  to 
any  evil  customs.  They  must  proclaim  the  truth  in  love, 
and  preach  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified. 

Tlie  churches  must  keep  clear  of  all  alliances  with  the 
world.  They  must  not  take  the  world  into  membership,  nor 
into  partnership.  They  must  keep  themselves  pure,  whose 
members  must  be  saints  by  regeneration,  not  merel}^  by  bap- 
tism ;  and  they  must  carry  their  holy  standard  into  all  busi- 
ness, socials,  fairs,  pleasures,  amusements,  and  recreations. 
They  must  not  present  to  the  world  a  commercial  aspect,^*^ 
but  the  aspect  and  acts  of  the  Good  Samaritan  and  of  am- 
bassadors of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  No  monkish  garb  should 
be  theirs,  but  modest  apparel  with  pure  hearts  and  loving 

3a  Theol.  Works,  i,  8. 

*^  We  mean  by  the  commercial  aspect  of  the  churches  the  various  methods  of  indi- 
rection or  devices  for  raising  money  — fairs,  socials,  singing,  and  preaching,  wliatever 
presents  the  churches  as  money-getting  instead  of  soul-saving  institutions.  This  atti- 
tude has  called  out  the  remark:  "The  cliurch  cares  more  forgetting  my  money  than 
for  saving  my  soul."  The  power  of  any  church  is  crippled  to  the  degree  in  which  this 
maybe  ti'uly  said  of  it.  Its  mission  is  salvation,  a  free  gospel  to  all  men;  and  it 
should  appeal  directly  to  men  to  support  it  in  this  divine  woi'k. 


THE   CHUBCH  AND    THE    WOULD.  343 

deeds.  The  churches  must  not  in  any  way  be  in  alliance 
with  the  world ;  but  they  must  refine  and  purify  whatever 
can  be  made  fit  for  the  Master's  service,  and  destroy  the 
rest.     The  leaven  must  leaven  the  lump. 

We  have  now  compassed  all  the  relations  save  one  which 
the  churches  sustain  to  the  kingdom  out  of  which  they 
spring ;  to  one  another,  and  each  to  the  whole ;  to  their 
officers  and  the  ministry  of  the  Word ;  to  their  members  ;  to 
fellowship  with  those  in  connection  ;  to  those  of  other  faiths 
and  polities ;  and  to  the  world.  Thus  through  the  Church 
the  manifold  wisdom  of  God  is  made  known  to  a  world  lying 
in  the  evil  one.  We  have  not  considered  yet  the  relation  of 
churches  to  doctrinal  standards,  except  in  the  matter  of 
comity  (§232:  2).  We  reserve  this  relation  and  certain 
objections  to  our  final  Lecture. 


LECTURE   TWELFTH. 

THE  DOCTRINE   OF   THE   CHRISTIAN   CHURCH.  —  CREED. — 
OBJECTIONS. 

"Hold  the  pattern  of  sound  words  which  thou  hast  heard  from  me,  in  faith 
and  love  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus."  —  Saint  Paul. 

"  Upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my  church ;  and  the  gates  of  Hades  shall  not 
prevail  against  it." — Jesus  Christ. 

§  234.  The  matter  of  church  creeds  is  of  the  utmost 
importance,  and  has  indirect  relation  to  polity.  Lideed,  it 
has  been  affirmed  that  the  polity  we  have  presented  tends  to 
unsoundness  in  the  faith.  If  this  charge  be  true,  it  is  a 
strong,  if  not  insuperable,  objection  to  Congregationalism, 
either  in  its  principles  or  in  its  workings.  For  no  organiza- 
tion has  ever  done,  or  can  ever  do,  much  good  either  for 
itself  or  for  the  world  without  a  creed  of  principles.  It  was 
said  of  the  Liberal  Republicans,  in  1872 :  "  Harmony  is  a 
very  good  thing,  as  far  as  it  goes,  but  it  is  by  no  means  the 
principal  thing ;  indeed,  it  is  only  a  means  to  an  end.  The 
first  thing  for'  a  neiv  party  or  a  reform  party  to  provide  itself 
with  is  a  body  of  doctrines ;  a  party  without  this  is  a  simple 
absurdity. ""  ^  Parties  in  their  state  and  national  conventions 
issue  platforms  as  their  creed ;  and  this  they  do  repeatedly. 
And  if  a  party  must  have  "  a  body  of  doctrines  "  in  order  to 
escape  an  "absurdity,"  how  much  more  a  communion  of 
churches,  and  even  a  single  congregation  of  believers.  "  A 
system  of  religion,  to  be  worthy  of  a  sane  man's  faith,  must 
.  .  .  6e  a  system.  It  must  have  concinnity.  It  must  have  a 
beginning  and  a  middle  and  an  end.  A  jumble  of  incohe- 
rences commands  as  little  honor  from  faith  as  from  reason."  ^ 
If  any  polity  tends  to  ignore  or  reject  creeds,  or  substitutes 

1  New  York  Nation,  No.  356. 

2  Prof.  Austin  Phelps,  u.i).,  Am.  Home  Missionary,  xlv,  3. 


CHUBCII  CREEDS.  345 

for  doctrinal  formularies  a  jumble  of  any  sort,  or  carries  the 
churches  away  from  the  faith  once  for  all  delivered  to  them, 
that  })olity  stamps  itself  as  inadequate  for  the  evangelization 
of  the  world.     Its  career  must  be  short. 

§  235.  The  general  confessions  of  the  Congregational 
churches  set  forth  sound  doctrine.  This  will  a})pear  from  a 
reference  to  them.  Some  of  the  leading  men  in  the  West- 
minster Assembly  (1643-1649),  which  issued  that  master- 
piece of  doctruial  statement,  the  Westminster  Confession  of 
Faith,  were  Congregationalists.  They  did  tlieir  full  share 
in  framing-  this  confession,  and  they  heartily  assented  to  all 
its  doctrinal  teachings.  So  the  Cambridge  Synod  that 
framed  and  issued  the  Cambridge  Platform,  in  1648,  gave 
the  Westminster  Confession  its  "  professed  and  hearty  assent 
and  attestation  to  the  whole  confession  of  faith  (for  sul> 
stance  of  doctrine)."^  The  English  Congregationalists,  in 
1658,  met  in  synod  and  issued  the  Savoy  Declaration,  as  it 
is  called,  the  doctrinal  part  of  which  is  identical  in  sub- 
stance and  almost  in  word  with  the  Westminster  Confession. 

3  There  were  at  that  time  fifty -one  Congregational  churclies  in  America,  distributed 
as  follows:  two  in  New  Hampshire;  nine  in  Plymouth  Colony;  thirty  in  Massachu- 
setts Colony;  five  in  Connecticut  Colony;  and  five  in  New  Haven  Colony.  The  term, 
"  for  substance  of  doctrine,"  whose  meaning  has  sometimes  been  disputed,  was  very 
restricted  at  that  time.  Tlie  Synod  excepteil  polity,  of  course,  in  their  endorsement, 
and  then  added;  "We  may  not  conceal  that  the  doctrine  of  vocation,  expressed  in 
chap.  10,  §  1,  passed  not  without  some  debate.  Yet  considering  that  the  term  voca- 
tion and  others  by  which  it  is  described  are  capable  of  a  large  and  more  strict  sense 
and  use,  and  that  it  is  not  intended  to  bind  apprehensions  precisely  in  point  of  order 
or  method,  there  hath  been  a  general  condescendency  thereto  "  (Felt's  Eccl.  Hist.il, 
.5).  The  subsciiuent  action  shows  that  no  essential  doctrine  was  then  in  dispute. 
After  the  said  approval,  in  1648,  the  General  Court  of  the  Massachusetts  Colony,  in 
1G49,  commended  the  Cambridge  I'latform  to  the  several  churches  for  "  their  judicious 
and  pious  copsideration,"  desiring  the  churches  to  return  the  Court  answers  "  how  far 
it  is  suitable  to  their  judgments  and  approbation  "  (Records  iii,  177,  17.s).  Objections 
being  returned  to  the  Court,  tliey  were  referred  to  liev.  John  Cotton  to  answer  (Iljid. 
23."), -236).  Then  in  October,  1G.")1,  the  General  Court,  composed  wholly  of  lay  church 
members,  and  elected  oidy  by  church  members,  "  gave  their  testimony  to  the  said 
Book  of  Discipline,  that  for  the  substance  thereof  it  is  that  we  have  practised  and  do 
believe"  (Ibid.  240).  Increase  Mather,  in  his  i)reface  to  his  son's  Ratio  Disciplinic, 
l)ublished  in  1720,  says:  "  It  Is  true  that  for  certain  modalities  there  has  been  a  variety 
of  practice  in  these  churches:  as  there  was  in  tlie  primitive;  but  in  essentials,  both 
of  doctrine  and  of  discipline,  they  agree  "  (iii). 

By  no  stretch  of  the  term  can  "  substance  of  doctrine  "  be  made  to  cover  any  doc- 
trinal unsoundness.    It  excepted  only  matters  of  minor  importance. 


346  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM, 

This  Savoy  Declaration  was  in  1680  approved  by  a  synod 
at  Cambridge,  Mass.  Thus  our  churches  in  Enghmd  and 
America  endorsed  as  their  belief  a  confession  whose  doc- 
trinal statements  are  given  in  thirty-four  chapters,  each 
chapter  containing  from  one  to  ten  articles.  There  are  in  it 
one  hundred  and  sixty-one  sections. 

But  in  1691  the  Congregational  and  Presbyterian 
churches  of  England  formed  a  basis  of  agreement,  which 
was  that  "  the  Articles  of  the  Church  of  England,  or  the 
Confession  or  Catechisms,  shorter  or  longer,  compiled  by  the 
Assembly  at  Westminster,  or  the  Confession  agreed  on  at 
the  Savoy,"  ^  should  be  tests  of  fellowship.  The  Congrega- 
tional Union  of  England  and  Wales  adopted  in  1833  a 
doctrinal  basis  covering  the  fundamental  doctrmes.^ 

The  American  Congregational  churches,  in  1865,  in  council 
adopted  the  Burial  Hill  Declaration,  after  re-affirming  their 
"adhesion  to  the  faith,"  "substantially  embodied  in  the  Con- 
fessions "  of  1648  and  1680.  In  this  declaration  our  churches 
present  "the  great  fundamental  truths  in  which  all  Chris- 
tians should  agree  "  as  the  basis  "  of  Christian  fellowship." 
And  when  the  National  Council  was  organized  at  Oberlin, 
in  1871,  it,  by  constitutional  provision,  rested  the  doctrinal 
basis  of  fellowship  on  the  Scriptures  as  interpreted  by  the 
evangelical  faith  and  set  forth  by  former  General  Councils. 
In  1880  the  National  Council  appointed  a  large  commission 
to  form  a  creed  or  catechism,  or  both,  and  to  report  the  same 
to  the  churches.  This  commission  reported  in  1883  a  state- 
ment of  doctrine  and  a  confession  of  faith. 

These  confessions  and  declarations,  and  heads  of  agree- 
ment, and  statements  of  doctrine  and  creeds,  give  no  uncer- 
tain sound.  Some  are  elaborate ;  some  are  brief ;  all  are 
thoroughly  evangelical  (§  232 :  2). 

§  236.  The  doctrinal  bases  of  our  state  associations  are 
also  evangelical.  They  range  from  the  word  "  evangelical " 
up  to  the  Burial  Hill  Declaration  of  1865,  and  even  to  the 

*  Heads  of  Agreemeut,  art.  viii.  =  New  Eug.  Memorial,  452. 


CHUBCH  CREEDS.  d47 

Shorter  Catecliism.  Nearly  all  have  a  creed  as  the  basis  of 
membership  in  them.  Not  one  repudiates  the  consensus  of 
Christian  doctrines  held  by  Christendom.  Instead,  they  are 
all  associated  in  the  National  Council,  whose  doctrinal  basis  is 
"  belief  that  the  holy  Scriptures  are  the  sufficient  and  only 
infallible  rule  of  religious  faith  and  practice,"  our  interpre- 
tation of  which  "being  in  substantial  accordance  with  the 
great  doctrines  of  the  Christian  faitli,  commonly  called 
evangelical." 

§  237.  If  we  turn  to  church  creeds  we  find  a  great 
variety ;  for  each  church  chooses  or  frames  and  adopts  its 
own.  It  has  authority  to  do  so  as  independent  under  Christ. 
Of  the  thousands  thus  adopted,  none  in  connection  is  hereti- 
cal. When  a  church  joins  a  conference  or  association,  its 
creed  is  a  matter  of  inquiry  before  admission.  Its  doctrinal 
soundness  is  therefore  a  test  of  admission,  as  well  as  the  doc- 
trinal basis  of  the  conference  or  association  to  which  it  gives 
its  assent. 

§  238.  Every  member  on  joining  the  church  publicly 
assents  to  a  creed ;  and  every  pastor  in  accepting  the  call 
to  any  church  makes  its  creed  a  part  of  his  covenant  and 
contract  with  the  said  church,  which  he  can  not  honorably 
break  by  preaching  another  doctrine.  Every  church  and 
minister  on  joining  an  association  either  expressly  or  im- 
pliedly assents  to  a  creed  and  covenant,  both  of  the  district 
body  and  of  the  state  and  national  bodies.  In  this  way  any 
doctrinal  unsoundness  in  church  or  minister  is  likely  to  be 
detected.  There  is  no  slighting  of  creeds.  Our  general 
confessions,  it  is  true,  are  mere  declarations,  to  mIucIi  no 
formal  assent  is  required ;  for  assent  to  church  creeds,  asso- 
eiational  bases,  and  inquiry  by  committee  or  council  are 
sufficient  to  secure  soundness  in  the  faith.  The  Congfresfa- 
tional  churches  of  England  are  less  rigid  than  those  in 
America  in  this  regard  of  doctrinal  tests. 

The  credal  tests  of  admission  to  church  membership  should 
not,   however,   go   beyond   the    Scriptural    requirement    of 


348  THE  CHURCH- KIXaDOM. 

*' repentance  toward  God,  and  faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus 
■Clnist"  (Acts  20:  21).  Whom  the  Lord  receives  in  regen- 
eration his  churches  are  to  receive  (Rom.  14:  1-5).  The 
creed  and  covenant  for  admission  should  be  constructed  on 
this  princi^ile ;  and  hence  no  ehiborate  articles  of  faith  or 
rigid  examination  should  stand  as  tests  of  admission.  There 
should  be,  therefore,  a  form  of  admission  to  membership 
separate  from  the  creed  of  the  church,  and  much  more  sim- 
ple, that  children  and  the  weakest  believer  may  enter  the 
nurturing  home  of  the  saints  and  be  trained  in  the  church 
up  to  the  doctrinal  perfection  of  its  creed.  The  church 
creed  should  be  read  at  communion  seasons,  but  members 
should  be  admitted  on  their  assent  to  a  simpler  form.  Tliis 
position  was  taken  in  the  Ohio  Manual  in  1874,  and  in  the 
creed  and  confession  of  faith  prepared  by  the  commission 
of  the  National  Council,  and  issued  in  1883.  Our  churches, 
in  placing  an  elaborate  creed  as  the  condition  of  church  mem- 
bership, depart  from  their  principles  and  early  practice. 

§  239.  Our  system  of  church  councils  has  been  a  safe- 
guard to  purity,  and  is  yet  to  some  extent,  though  the 
stated  meeting  of  the  churches  in  associations  renders  coun- 
cils of  less  vital  importance.  Councils  have  been  called  to 
recognize  a  church,  to  ordain,  install,  and  dismiss  ministers, 
etc.  (§  194:  7),  which  inquired  into  the  faith  of  both 
churches  and  ministers.  They  may  be  called  also  to  disci- 
pline both  churches  and  ministers  in  case  of  heresy  or  im- 
morality (§  200).^  Councils  do  these  things  now  wherever 
called,  and  so  form  an  additional  security  to  those  above 
given. 

§  240.  The  history  of  our  churches  shows  that  they  have 
kept  the  faith  with  unusual  firmness.  Time  tests  all  things, 
and  history  is  but  the  record  of  its  testings.  Polities  do 
not  escape.  How  do  they  stand  the  ordeal  ?  Towards  the 
close  of  the  eighteenth  century  a  wave  from  that  deluge  of 
infidelity   which   had   submerged   Europe   broke    upon    the 

*  Minutes  National  Council,  1S80, 17. 


CONGBEGAriONAL    OliTIIODOXY.  349 

shores  of  New  England,  unmooring  many  churches,  which 
during  the  first  quarter  of  the  present  century  drifted  upon 
the  bleak  shores  of  heresy.  The  wave  came  fi'om  Eui'0[)e ; 
its  damage  was  chiefly  done  in  Europe,  —  in  the  comparison 
the  defection  in  New  England  was  slight,  —  and  yet  the 
country  and  polity  that  suffei'ed  least  from  it  have  been 
charged  with  its  origin.  Nothing  could  be  farther  from  the 
fact.  "  No  great  heresy  was  ever  generated  by  our  polity." 
Let  us  examine  the  facts  more  closely,  a  thing  we  would  not 
do  but  for  the  charge  so  persistently  made  against  Congrega- 
tionalism. In  the  Revolution  a  French  army  came  over  to 
assist  us,  which  brought  with  it  the  infidelity  of  Voltaire. 
In  consequence  of  its  influence,  of  the  influence  of  the  Half- 
way Covenant,  and  of  the  parish  system,  inherited  from  the 
union  of  Church  and  State,  ninety-six  churches  in  Massachu- 
setts out  of  three  hundred  and  sixty-one  became  Unitarian. 
Only  twenty-six  per  cent,  of  them  apostatized.'^  But  in 
England,  out  of  two  hundred  and  fifty-eight  Presbyterian 
churches,  all  but  twenty-three  lapsed  into  Unitarianism ; 
which  was  ninety-one  per  cent,  of  the  whole.^  In  Connecti- 
cut no  Congregational  church  was  lost  to  the  faith ;  '•*  but  in 
Ireland  two  Presbyterian  synods  became  Unitarian. ^^  In 
England,  only  six,  or  at  most  ten,  churches  of  our  order 
became  unsound  in  the  faith ;  ^^  while  in  Scotland  the  whole 
body  of  Presbyterian  churches  fell  away  into  Moderatism,  a 
term  which  included  all  shades  of  unbelief  from  bald  deism 
up  to  the  evangelical  faith. ^^  There  were  not  many  Congre- 
gational churches  in  Ireland,  but  no  one  of  these  aposta- 
tized ;  13  while  the  Presbyterian  and  Reformed  Churches  of 
Switzerland,  Holland,  and  Germany  lapsed  almost  wholly 
into   rationalism    and    heresy,    leaving   even   the    cradle    of 

'  Clark's  Cong.  Chhs.  in  Mass.  '270. 

*  Tracts  for  tlie  Tiiiic's,  i,  40;i,  (juoted  from  A  Churchman's  Reasons,  ISl,  IS^. 

»  Bacon's  Hist.  Address,  in  Contrib.  to  Eccl.  Hist.  Ct.  70. 

10  Hall'f*  nut.  Prusby.  Ch.  iii,  454,  472. 

"  Spirit  of  the  Pilgrims,  iii,  .'537;  iv,  46. 

"  Hetlierington's  Hist.  Ch.  of  Scotland,  11,  362,  363;  chap,  x,  367,  377. 

"  Spirit  of  the  Pilgrims,  iv,  97. 


350  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

Presbyterian  ism  without  a  cliuicli  in  the  faith  of  John 
Calvin.i*  The  Lutherans,i^  the  Episcopalians,  and  the 
Roman  Catholics  suffered  equally  or  even  Avorse  from  this 
deluge  of  unbelief.  About  two  hundred  and  fifty  clergy- 
men of  the  Anglican  Church,  including  a  bishop  and  an 
archdeacon,  petitioned  Parliament  to  be  released  from  sub- 
scribing to  the  Thirty-Nine  Articles,  because  they  had  l)ecome 
Unitarian.^*^  The  Roman  Catholic  churches  in  France  and 
Italy  were  even  less  sound  in  the  faith. 

We  believe  that  impartial  history  will  show  more  heresy 
under  centralized  forms  of  church  government  than  under 
the  liberty  of  independent  churches.  We  believe  it  to  be 
true  and  proved  by  history,  that  ecclesiastical  courts  rising 
in  ai^pellate  jurisdiction  have  not  proved  to  be  the  best 
guards  of  purity  in  faith.  Liberty  and  sound  orthodoxy  go 
naturally  together. 

§  241.  For  the  people  are  the  best  custodians  of  the  faith 
as  of  liberty.  The  oracles  of  God  were  committed  unto  his 
people.  The  gospel  was  entrusted  to  free,  independent 
churches,  governed  by  the  popular  vote  of  their  members, 
with  the  command  to  evangelize  all  nations.  It  is  a  con- 
ceded fact  that  the  membership  of  the  primitive  churches 
resisted,  and  sometimes  by  riots,  the  encroachments  upon 
their  liberties  that  ended  in  the  Papacy.  Those  churches 
were  robbed  of  their  rights  against  their  will  by  the  clergy 
fortified  by  tlie  civil  power.  So  bitter  was  the  contest  for 
their  liberties,  that  a  semblance  of  their  inalienable  rights 
was  left  the  people  for  centuries  after  the  substance  had 
been  insidiously  taken  away  from  them. 

We  have  said  that  in  Ireland  two  synods  of  Presbyterians 
lapsed  into  Unitarianism ;  but  the  rest  were  preserved  by 
the  people  in  this  way  as  told  by  their  Presbyterian  histo- 
rian :  "  For  a  quarter  of  a  century  before  the  commence- 

14  Dorner's  mst.  Prot.  Theol.  ii,475;    Pond's  Church  of   God,  1040;    Spirit   of  the 
Pilgrims,  v,  532,  seq. 

15  Pond's  Church  of  God,  1037. 
1"  Spirit  of  the  Pilgrims,  iv,  44. 


THE  BEST  CUSTODIAXS  OF   ORTHODOXY.  351 

ment  of  the  Arian  controversy,  congregations  had  been 
scanning  with  increased  vigihince  the  doctrines  propounded 
from  the  pulpit;  and  on  the  occurrence  of  a  vacancy  the 
ver}'  suspicion  of  '  New  Light '  was  ahnost  sure  to  destroy 
the  prospects  of  the  candidate.  In  1827,  when  the  sjniod 
began  fairly  to  grapple  with  the  (question,  the  people  them- 
selves had  already  performed  so  effectually  the  process  of 
purgation,  that  only  a  comparatively  small  fraction  of  the 
body  was  tainted  with  Unitarianism."  "  The  synod  always 
recognized  the  right  of  the  people  to  elect  their  minister, 
and  the  enlightened  exercise  of  this  privilege  tended  greatly 
to  impede  the  progress  of  anti-evangelical  principles."  ^"  The 
Moderatism  of  Scotland,  which  carried  all  the  Presbyterian 
churches  away  for  a  long  period,  had  its  origin  partly  in  the 
union  of  Church  and  State.  "  Early  in  its  progress  it  showed 
itself  favorable  to  soundness  of  doctrine  and  laxity  of  disci- 
pline, and  strongl}'  opposed  to  the  rights  and  privileges  of 
the  Christian  people."  ^^  In  Germany  there  is  a  union  of 
Church  and  State.  Hence  it  is  said  that  "  the  great  Coryphaei 
of  rationalism  have  sprung  from  the  very  bosom  of  the 
Church  .  .  .  and,  at  the  same  time  that  they  were  endeavor- 
ing to  demolish  the  superstructure  of  divine  interpretation, 
they  were  in  the  eyes  of  the  people,  its  strongest  pillars,  the 
accredited  spiritual  guides  of  the  land,  teaching  in  the  most 
famous  universities  of  the  continent,  and  preaching  in 
churches  which  had  been  hallowed  by  the  struggles  and 
triumphs  of  the  Reformation."  ^^  The  pious  members  of  all 
cluirches,  whatever  their  polity,  care  little  for  doctrinal 
speculations,  but  they  do  care  for  the  grand  doctrines  of  the 
gospel  by  which  men  are  brought  to  Christ  and  saved. 
These  great  working  doctrines,  whicli  have  carried  the 
churches  through  persecutions  and  controversies,  the  storms 
of   the  centuries ;  which  have  brought  in  reformations  and 

"  Hall's  Hist.  Presby.  Ch.  of  Ireland,  iii,  487. 

w  Hetheriugton's  Hi.-^t.  Ch.  Scotland  (7th  ed.),  ii,  362. 

i»  Hurst's  Hist.  Rationalism  (6th  ed.),  27. 


002  THE   C'HUBCH-  lUNGDOM. 

revivals  ;  which  have  given  spiritual  victories  at  home  and  in 
foreign  mission  lields  ;  which  satisfy  the  deepest  wants  of  the 
soul,  and  convict  men  of  sin  and  the  need  of  salvation,  and 
which  consequently  hold  within  themselves  the  redemption 
of  the  world  until  the  end,  —  these  doctrines  the  true  be- 
lievers cling  to  even  unto  death,  and  they  are  the  best  custo- 
dians of  them,  and  ever  will  be. 

§  242.  The  people  stand  also  as  the  best  guardians  of  the 
independence  of  local  churches.  It  is  hardly  too  much  to 
say  that  the  ministry  would  have  given  our  polity  away  alto- 
gether out  of  New  England,  but  for  the  laity.  "  The  most 
injurious  practical  mistake  made  in  the  working  of  our 
church  order  in  this  country  was  an  affair  of  the  ministers. 
The  Plan  of  Union  (1801)  is  a  notable  instance  of  the  ill 
effects  which  may  follow  when  ministerial  meetings  take  upon 
themselves  to  manage  affairs  without  deferring  them  to  the 
judgment  of  the  churches."  "^^  Probably  a  greater  mistake 
was  the  failure  to  find  and  use  true  remedies  for  the  defects 
in  discipline  when  the  reliance  of  the  churches  on  "  the 
coercive  power  of  the  magistrate"  ceased.  This  we  have 
shown  in  another  place.^^  This  failure  to  supply  a  needed 
remedy  in  time  led  men  to  distrust  our  polity  as  unfit  for 
the  West,  or,  indeed,  any  place  but  New  England.  Ministers 
and  churches  were  advised  to  join  the  presbytery,  and  home 
missionary  committees  almost  forbade  the  organization  of 
Congregational  churches.  The  missionaries  were  instructed 
that  it  was  expected  that  they  should  join  the  presbytery ; 
"  that  it  would  not  be  either  desirable  or  wise  to  organize 
any  Congregational  churches  ; "  and  "  that,  wliile  Congrega- 
tionalism did  well  enough  for  New  England,  it  was  not 
adapted  to  the  recent  settlements  of  the  West."  ^  That 
was  in  1831.  In  the  subsequent  revival  of  Congregation- 
alism it  has  been  said  that  "•  the  ministers  have  not  led  in 
this  matter,  but  followed.     Congregationalism  in  Illinois  is 

20  Prof.  Ladd's  Principles  Ch.  Polity,  319.  ='  New  Euglander,  1883,  408-476. 

M  2  Cong.  Quart.  192. 


CONGREGATIONALISM  AND  IIEBESY.  353 

very  largely  the  result  of  a  spontaneous  movement  of  the 
people  themselves."  ^  In  Ohio,  Congregational  churches 
"originated  with  the  laymen,  and  not  with  the  ministers." 
The  pastors  carried  the  city  churches  over  to  the  presby- 
tery .^^  The  same  was  true  in  New  York,^'''  in  Michigan,^^ 
and  in  other  states.^" 

In  the  Unitarian  apostasy,  our  churches  in  England,  by 
insisting  on  the  examination  of  candidates  for  the  ministry 
and  by  requiring  credible  evidence  of  experimental  religion 
from  them,  preserved  themselves,  with  the  rarest  exceptions, 
from  the  heresy  which  swept  nearly  all  the  Presbyterian 
churches  away.^^  It  was  the  pious  people  that  withdrew 
from  apostate  parishes  in  New  England  in  order  that  they 
might  preserve  the  faith  in  its  Scriptural  integrity .^^  "  It  is 
probably  the  Unitarian  controversy  which  served  to  fix  the 
custom,  as  it  now  exists,  of  examining  every  candidate  for 
ordination  as  pastor  of  a  Congregational  church."  ^^  This 
examination  had  previously  been  neglected.  A  foot-note  of 
a  sermon  preached  by  Dr.  Samuel  Hopkins,  in  1768,  ex- 
presses the  fear  that  ordaining  councils  were  beginning  "  to 
neglect  the  examination  of  candidates  for  the  ministry  with 
respect  to  their  religious  sentiments."  ^^  Where  the  churches 
have  insisted  on  a  converted  and  orthodox  ministry,  they 
have  preserved  their  soundness  in  the  faith,  but  the  inspira- 
tion of  such  tests  has  been  in  the  pious  laymen  rather  than 
in  the  ministry. 

§  243.  The  way  the  Congregational  churches  deal  with 
heretics  conduces  to  purity  of  the  faith.  There  are  two 
ways  of  dealing  with  them.     One  method  retains  them  in 

=3  17  Cong.  Quart.  403. 

-*  Defence  of  Ohio  Congregationalism,  by  Dr.  Henry  Cowles,  1,  2.    The  planting  of 
Congregational  churches  had  to  be  defended. 
25  1  Cong.  Quart,  lol,  secj. ;  2  Cong.  Quart.  33,  seq. 
2«  2  Cong.  Quart.  liK),  seq. 
"  10  Cong.  Quart.  201,  seq. 

2«  Wilson's  Hist.  Dissenting  Chhs.,  (juoted  in  Spirit  of  the  Pilgrims,  ill,  537. 
2»  Clark's  Cong.  Chhs.  in  Mass.  2it9,  seq. 
s«  Prof.  Ladd'8  Principles  Ch.  Polity,  237,  238. 
31  Ibid.  237. 


354  THE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

fellowship,  that  they  may  be  reclaimed ;  but  after  long  for- 
bearance casts  them  out,  if  not  brought  back  to  the  faith. 
The  other  way  is  to  make  the  unity  of  the  body  paramount 
to  its  purity.  This  latter  method,  as  history  abundantly 
2jroves,  corrupts  often  the  whole  body  past  recovery ;  for  it 
seems  to  put  no  difference  between  truth  and  error,  the  essen- 
tial doctrines  and  "  destructive  heresies."  The  Scriptural 
way  (§§  94,  164)  is  the  former  method,  wliich  our  churches 
have  followed.  As  soon  as  Unitarian  heresies  became  public 
in  Massachusetts,  the  churches  began  the  work  of  purgation, 
and  it  was  soon  completed.  Whether  there  was  undue  haste 
in  casting  out  or  not,  we  are  unable  now  to  say.  But  the 
method  of  free  churches  was  far  more  prompt  and  decisive 
than  that  pursued  by  centralized  churches,  whose  unity 
would  be  destroyed  by  withdrawal  of  fellowship.  No  Mod- 
erates were  cast  out  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland ; 
no  Unitarians  from  the  Established  Church  in  England ;  no 
Rationalists  from  the  continental  churches.  Had  the  Unita- 
rians in  Ireland  chosen  to  remain  in  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
they  would  not  probably  have  been  cut  off  from  fellowship.^ 
The  Puritans  and  Methodists  were  driven  out  from  the 
Anglican  Church,  as  the  earlier  Reformers  were  from  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  not  for  heresy,  but  because  they 
laid  the  axe  at  the  root  of  those  hierarchical  systems  in 
church  polity. 

§  244.  The  system  of  guards  among  independent  churches 
is  complete.  Let  us  repeat  them.  Members,  whether  bap- 
tized in  infancy  or  not,  are  received  into  our  churches 
on  profession  of  their  faith  in  Christ  and  repentance  of 
sin ;  and  are  expelled  for  denying  the  faith  called  evan- 
gelical as  for  immorality.  Churches  are  recognized  by 
council  or  received  into  associations  of  churches  on 
condition  of  assenting  to  an  evangelical  creed,  and  they  can 
be  dealt  with  by  council  or  expelled  from  the  association  to 
which  they  belong  for  heresy  or  any  violation  of  the  cove- 
rs Hall's  Hist.  Presby.  Ch.  in  Ireland,  iii,  487. 


FORCE   OP  OBJECTIONS.  355 

nant  of  their  fellowship.  Ministers  are  examined  at  ordina- 
tion, recognition,  or  installation,  as  to  their  soundness  in  the 
faith ;  and  on  joining  an  association  of  churches  or  of  minis- 
ters they  bring  credentials  and  assent  to  the  creed  and  cove- 
nant of  that  association,  from  which  they  may  be  expelled  if 
they  violate  either  creed  or  covenant,  and  be  brought  before 
a  council  of  churches  for  vindication  or  deposition  in  case 
they  feel  aggrieved.  And  this  covenant  may  be  either  writ- 
ten or  understood.  Our  general  associations  have  generally 
doctrinal  bases,  and  our  National  Council  re-affirms  the  great 
confessions.  No  system  is  more  complete.  Authority  with- 
out the  civil  power  to  enforce  it  adds  nothing  to  it.  It  is  as 
a  Presbyterian  is  reported  to  have  said :  "  Congregationalism 
politely  invites  a  man  to  leave,  and  —  he  leaves ;  Presb3'teri- 
anism  tells  him  to  go,  and  —  he  goes.  The  result  in  either 
case  is  the  same."  That  is,  the  withdrawal  of  fellowship  is 
as  potent  a  method  of  discipline  as  the  most  terrible  censures 
of  ecclesiastical  power.  We  think  it  impossible  for  one  who 
distinguishes  between  essentials  and  incidentals,  between 
rigor  within  the  evangelical  circle  of  doctrines  and  lil)erty 
of  belief  beyond  that  circle,  to  charge  the  conceded  polity  of 
the  primitive  churches  with  a  tendency  to  unsoundness  in 
the  faith. 

SOME   OBJECTIONS   TO    CONGREGATIONALISM    CONSIDERED. 

§  245.  In  answering  objections  to  any  thing,  we  need  to 
know  the  force  of  objections  ;  for  many  men  seem  to  think 
that  any  objection  is  destructive. 

(1)  But  some  objections  have  no  force  whatever.  Such 
are  many  objections  drawn  from  church  troubles  against  any 
and  every  form  of  church  government.  For  the}'  lie  rather 
against  imperfect,  though  regenerate,  church  members.  There 
IS  a  great  deal  of  human  nature  in  Christians.  Were  mem- 
bei-s  perfect  in  head  and  heart,  church  troubles  could  not 
arise  ;  but  being  imperfect  in  l)oth  head  and  heart,  '*  it  is   im- 


356  THE  CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

possible  but  that  occasions  of  stumbling  should  come  "  (Luke 
17:  1);  and  therefore  no  church  polity  can  escape  troubles. 
One  polity  may  deal  with  church  troubles  better  than  an- 
other, but  the  fact  of  such  troubles  is  no  objection  against 
a  polity.  To  giv^e  the  objection  the  least  force  whatever,  it 
must  be  shown  that  the  trouble  can  not  be  met  as  well  under 
that  polity  as  under  some  other  polity. 

(2)  Some  objections  have  force  only  against  a  faulty  ad- 
ministration of  church  government.  In  no  form  is  there 
perfect  administration,  since  regenerate  human  nature  is  im- 
perfect. Hence  in  studying  a  polity  we  must  separate  it,  as 
far  as  possible,  from  faults  in  administration.  A  faulty 
church  government  well  administered  may  for  a  time  appear 
to  better  advantage  than  a  faultless  polity  badly  adminis- 
tered. If  an  objection  lies  against  a  faulty  administration, 
it  is  illogical  to  urge  it  against  a  polity.  A  mistake  in  ad- 
ministering discipline  is  no  objection  against  that  discipline, 
unless  the  polity  tends  to  multiply  mistakes  or  neglects. 

(3)  Some  objections  have  real,  but  not  conclusive,  force. 
Were  this  not  so,  what  could  stand  ?  It  is  a  real  objection 
against  civil  government  that  injustice  is  sometimes  done  and 
justice  sometimes  fails  to  be  done.  Yet  this  objection  is  not 
conclusive  against  the  ordinance  of  God,  the  State.  The 
worst  administration  in  the  state  is  better  than  anarchy.  It 
is  a  real  objection  against  the  climate  of  this  earth,  that  it 
shortens  man's  life  so  much  by  its  extremes  and  changes ; 
but  the  objection  does  not  prove  either  the  imperfection  or 
the  malignit}^  of  God's  government  of  nature.  The  exist- 
ence of  sin  is  a  real  objection  urged  against  God's  moral  gov- 
ernment, but  no  one  can  claim  that  it  is  conclusive.  Objec- 
tions may  lie  against  every  form  of  church  government,  yet 
some  form  must  be  had.  The  church-kingdom  can  not  exist 
in  this  world  \vithout  some  method  of  combiningf  church  with 
church  in  fellowship  and  cooperation. 

(4)  Objections  can  be  used,  therefore,  only  as  tests  by 
which  to  ascertain  what  form  of  church  polity  is  the  best. 


CONGBECrATIOyALISM  AND    UXITY.  357 

And  here  no  one  will  be  so  hardy  as  to  deny  that  the  plan  of  the 
inspired  apostles,  as  respects  polit}',  whatever  that  plan  was, 
is  on  the  whole  freest  from  real  ohjections,  and  must  be  the 
best.  What  the  primitive  polity  in  principle  was  is  now  gen- 
erally conceded  (§  100).  And  tliat  polit}-,  when  drawn 
out  in  detail,  is  not  to  be  set  aside  either  hy  objections  against 
its  faulty  administration  or  real  objections  against  its  most 
perfect  administration.  The  force  of  objections  needs  ever 
to  be  kept  in  mind,  lest  we  mistake  in  judging  polities. 

§  246.  It  has  been  objected  that  public  discipline  before 
the  whole  church  is  not  the  best  way  either  for  purity  or 
peace.  Discipline  is  like  a  storm,  and  we  know  of  no  storm 
that  does  not  cause  greater  or  less  commotion.  But  we  seek 
to  follow  Christ's  rule  exactly,  and  he  is  supposed  to  know 
what  is  best  for  his  churches.  The  responsibility  of  keeping 
the  church  pure  is  not  laid  upon  a  few  in  the  church,  but 
upon  the  whole  membership,  which  sobers  and  trains  each 
member.  But  in  certain,  or  even  in  all,  cases  the  trial  may 
be  had  before  the  church  board  or  a  jury  of  the  church 
(§  174),  which  limits,  if  it  does  not  destroy,  the  objection. 
Then  again  our  polity  does  not  provide  a  series  of  judicato- 
ries, by  which  the  strife  or  discipline  of  one  congregation 
may  become  the  strife  and  discipline  of  the  whole  church  or 
community  of  churches.  Congregationalism,  following  the 
Master's  rule,  confines  the  trouble  to  the  narrowest  limits. 
And  in  case  of  alleged  grievance  councils  may  be  called  to 
redi'ess  the  grievances,  if  any  exist  (§  186). 

§  247.  It  has  been  said  that  (Congregationalism  lacks 
unity.  And  it  is  true  that  the  visible  signs  of  our  unity 
have  not  been  conspicuous.  From  the  landing  of  the  Pil- 
grims down  to  the  organization  of  the  National  Council,  in 
1871,  there  was  no  stated  expression  of  the  union  of  our 
churches  in  tliis  country.  They  had  met  in  occasional 
synods  or  coimcils,  as  in  1637,  1648,  1852,  and  1865 ;  but 
these  meetings  were  neither  fi-equent  nor  imposing  enough 
to  express  the  oneness  of  our  churches.     And  district  and 


358  THE   CHUBCH- KINGDOM. 

state  associations  are  of  late  origin  (§  208).  "  Strict  inde- 
pendency clearly  fails  to  give  just  prominence  to  the  Script- 
ural doctrine  of  the  fellowship  of  the  churches,  and  the 
sacred  unity  of  all  in  the  one  great  Church  of  God  on 
earth."  ^  What  is  here  affirmed  of  strict  independency  is 
true,  but  the  same  can  not  be  affirmed  of  Congregationalism  ; 
for  our  polity  is  unifying.  It  fosters  the  life  of  Christ  in  the 
heart,  which  is  unifying ;  it  rests  not  on  sacramental,  but  on 
spiritual,  regeneration  and  sanctification,  wliich  is  unifying; 
it  rejects  divisive  force,  which  is  unifying;  it  seeks  fellow- 
ship with  all  the  saints,  whicli  is  unifying.  We  are  not  sur- 
prised, then,  to  learn  that  within  the  evangelical  lines,  the 
Congregational  churches  of  no  one  country  have  ever  been 
divided  into  different  communions.  But  this  can  not  be 
said  of  other  communions.  The  Western,  or  Latin  Church, 
separated  from  the  Eastern,  or  Greek  Church.  The  Lutlieran 
and  the  Reformed  Churches  were  broken  off  from  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  The  Puritans,  Congregational  and  Presby- 
terial,  and  the  Wesleyans  were  driven  out  from  the  Anglican 
Church.  The  cleavage  of  force  still  went  on.  Scotland 
w^as  divided  into  five  independent  national  Presbyterian 
bodies;  the  United  States  into  nine  such  bodies.  Method- 
ism breaks  up  into  eleven  distinct  bodies  in  the  United 
States ;  five  in  Canada,  recentl}^  united  ;  and  nine  in  England 
and  Ireland.  This  cleavage  under  authority,  but  oneness 
under  liberty,  is  a  final  answer  to  the  objection.  The  force 
of  this  unifying  love  of  Christ  in  free  churches  was  early 
foreseen.  Captain  Edward  Johnson  wrote  from  Massachu- 
setts Bay,  A.D.  1654 :  "  Could  your  eyes  but  behold  the  effi- 
cacy of  loving  council  in  the  communion  of  Congregational 
churches,  and  the  reverend  respect,  honor,  and  love  given  to 
all  teaching  elders,  charity  commands  me  to  think  you  would 
never  stand  for  classical  injunctions  any  more  ;  neither  Dioce- 
san, nor  Provincial  authority  can  possibly  reach  so  far  as 
this  royal  laAv  of  love  in  communion  of  churches :  verily  it 

33  Prof.  Morris's  Ecclesiology,  137. 


C0N0BEGATI0NALI8M  AND  EFFICIENCY.  359 

is  more  universal  than  the  Papal  power,  and  assuredly  the 
days  are  at  hand  wherein  both  Jew  and  Gentile  churches 
shall  exercise  this  old  model  of  church  government,  and 
send  their  church  salutations  and  admonitions  from  one  end 
of  the  world  unto  another,  when  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth 
are  become  our  Lord  Christ's ;  then  shall  the  exhortation  of 
one  church  to  another  prevail  more  to  reformation  than  all 
the  thundering  bulls,  excommunicating  lordly  censures,  and 
shameful  penalties  of  all  the  lording  churches  of  the  world ; 
and  such  shall  be  and  is  the  efficacy  of  this  entire  love  one 
to  another,  that  the  withdrawing  of  any  one  church  of 
Christ,  according  to  the  rule  of  the  Word,  from  those  that 
walk  inordinately,  will  be  more  terrible  to  the  church  or 
churches  so  forsaken  than  an  army  with  banners."^ 

§  248.  It  has  been  said  that  Congregationalism  lacks 
efficiency,  and  our  past  history  in  this  country  has  given 
occasion  for  the  objection.  In  the  number  of  churches  the 
Concreo-ationalists  were  first  in  1776,  but  seventh  in  1876. 
This  showed  great  inefficiency  in  home  growth  and  evangeli- 
zation, but  that  the  causes  were  other  than  those  of  polity 
is  clear  from  the  fact  that  the  Baptists,  who  are  as  free 
and  independent  in  polity  as  our  churches  are,  retained  the 
second  place  in  the  number  of  churches  during  the  entire 
century.^  We  must  therefore  look  for  the  causes  of  the  in- 
efficiency of  our  churches,  as  measured  by  growth,  in  other 
things  than  church  government. 

(1)  Our  churches  cherished  more  than  any  others  the 
spirit  of  union.  Hence  they  gave  their  energies  for  a  long 
time,  and  that  too  at  the  beginning  of  missionary  and  benevo- 
lent operations,  to  the  formation  and  support  of  union  socie- 
ties. Had  their  labors  here  been  wise,  they  wovdd  have  been 
noble  ;  but  they  had  not  studied  the  problem  profoundly,  or 
they  would  have  seen  that  two  polities  can  not  long  walk 
together  unless  they  be  agreed ;  that  is,  become  one,  and  that 

^  Wonder  Working  Providence,  book  1,  chap,  xllv;  Mass.  Hist.  Col.  vols.  12,  14, 
17, 18.  ''  Centennial  No.  North  Am.  Rev.  1876,  36. 


360  rilE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

consequently  all  union  efforts  end  in  denominational  results 
(§  232:  3,  5).  By  reason  of  this  union  sentiment  our 
churches  neglected  their  golden  opportunity,  and  built  up 
other  denominations. 

(2)  The  early  union  of  Church  and  State,  and  the  des- 
perate tenacity  with  which  our  churches  clung  to  every 
shred  that  bound  them  to  the  State,  were  causes  of  early 
and  late  inefficiency.  The  Congregational  churches  were 
the  established  churches,  for  whose  support  all  were  taxed, 
though  supporting  other  churches.  This  induced  an  aristo- 
cratic temper  and  a  separation  between  these  churches  and 
all  other  churches  and  the  non-church  going  population. 
When  the  liberty  they  had  established  produced  a  cleavage 
between  the  civil  and  the  ecclesiastical  powers,  our  churches 
clung  desperately  to  the  early  but  vanishing  connection,  even 
down  to  the  present  century.  Their  reliance  on  the  State 
damaged  both  spiritual  aggressiveness  and  popular  favor, 
and  so  hindered  growth. 

(3)  And  Avhen  the  separation  was  finally  effected,  the 
parish  system  was  retained,  whose  dual  arrangement  permits 
an  adverse  parish  to  dead-lock  the  church  and  drive  it  out 
stripped  of  all  its  property.  This  occurred  ninety-six  times 
in  the  Unitarian  defection  in  Massachusetts.  The  parish 
system  became  a  clog  to  growth. 

(4)  The  Plan  of  Union,  a  child  of  the  Saybrook  Platform 
of  Consociationism,  surrendered  our  polity  to  another.  The 
Hartford  Association  of  Ministers  issued  in  1799  a  declara- 
tion affirming  that  the  standards  and  usages  of  the  Connect- 
icut churches  were  not  Congregational  but  Presbyterian  in 
their  fundamental  principle.^  It  was  natural,  therefore,  that 
the  general  association  of  ministers  should  propose  to  the 
general  assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  cooperation  in 
conducting  missions  throughout  the  West.  Out  of  this  pro- 
posal grew,  in  1801,  the  plan  of  union  which  continued  in 
operation  fifty-one  years,  and  which  carried  over  more  than 

38  Gilletfs  Hist.  Presby.  Ch.  i,  438,  439,  note. 


CONGBEGATIONALISM  AND  EFFICIENCY.  361 

two  thousand  churches,  in  origin  and  habits  Congregational, 
to  the  Presbyterians.  These  churches  being  phxnted  in 
phxces  where  great  cities  grew  up,  became  generally  strong 
and  of  commanding  influence.  It  is  no  wonder  that  the 
denomination  receiving  these  churches  should  charge  us 
with  inefliciency,  since  it  has  so  many  proofs  of  it  on  its 
rolls. 

(5)  Neglecting  to  care  for  their  own,  to  remedy  the  de- 
fects in  their  discipline,  and  to  work  their  own  principles, 
our  leading  men  soon  distrusted  their  own  polity.  They  dis- 
couraged the  organization  of  Congregational  churches  out  of 
New  England,  and  advocated  the  desertion  of  its  principles. 
"  There  is  no  more  self-convicting  and  mortal,  nay,  cowardly 
and  suicidal,  heresy  regarding  this  polity  than  to  claim  its 
fitness  only  for  provincial  uses,  selected  classes,  opportune 
seasons,  and  favoring  circumstances."  ^'  Had  it  not  been  for 
a  few  ministers  true  to  the  faith  and  polity  of  their  fathers,^ 
and  for  the  faithful  laity  (§§  241,  242),  our  union  labors  and 
the  ministerial  disti'ust  of  our  polity  would  have  prevented 
the  planting  of  Congregational  churches  west  of  the  Hudson. 
When  the  golden  opportunity  arrived  for  efficient  work  in 
the  West,  our  churches  were  devoting,  largely,  their  energies 
to  the  building  up  of  other  polities.  They  left  their  own 
vineyard  to  cultivate  those  of  neighbors.  It  is  a  wonder  that 
Congregationalism  was  not  SAvallowed  up  and  lost  in  this 
current  of  its  own  making.  Those  who  reaped  the  fields  of 
our  planting  and  put  the  golden  grain  into  their  own  granary 
admired  our  suicidal  benevolence,  but  held  the  polity  that 
could  do  such  things  in  contempt. 

(6)  Efficiency  arises  partly  from  using  the  wisdom  of  the 
wise.  There  are  still  diversities  of  gifts,  but  the  same  Spirit. 
Hence  some  men  have  greater  wisdom  and  executive  ability 
than  others.  They  can  lay  plans  for  the  centuries,  and  work 
out  results  the  greater  the  longer  the  centuries  continue. 
Some  polities  make  such  men  bishops,  cardinals,  popes.     We 

SI  Prof.  Ladd's  Prin.  Ch.  Polity,  325.  »  2  Cong.  Quart.  192,  seq. 


362  THE   CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

can  not  surrender  liberty  that  a  hierarchy  may  govern.  The 
polity  of  the  New  Testament  trains  the  rank  and  file  as  well 
as  the  officers  in  the  army  of  the  Lord ;  but  this  does  not 
prevent  the  wisdom  of  the  wisest  from  directing  affairs  by 
counsel  though  not  by  command.  With  a  trained  member- 
ship meeting  in  associations  where  the  wisest  may  make  their 
plans  the  concern  of  all,  our  polity  may  become  the  most 
efficient  of  all. 

(7)  Efficiency  arises  partly  from  using  the  resources  given 
us.  We,  as  churches,  have  been  very  benevolent  and  active, 
but  we  have  been  wanton  in  the  use  of  these  elements  of 
power.  Some  have  so  feared  denominational  tendencies  that 
they  have  preferred  union  societies  to  our  own,  never 
dreaming  that  every  cent  they  gave  turned  up  somewhere 
with  a  denominational  stamp  on  it  (§  232  :  3,  5).  This  scat- 
tering through  catholic  channels  into  denominational  folds 
has  done  good ;  but  it  would  have  done  more  good,  if  liberty 
counts  for  any  thing  in  the  churches  or  nations,  had  free 
churches  been  planted  by  it.  Disguise  it  how  men  may,  in- 
dependent churches  can  not  foster  centralized  polities  with- 
out loss.  We  have  societies  as  ably  and  wisely  administered 
as  any,  and  when  we  learn,  as  we  are  learning,  to  put  all  our 
resources  into  these  channels,  our  efficiency  will  no  longer  be 
questioned.  The  Baptists,  with  the  same  free  polity,  have 
had  no  union  with  the  State ;  have  been  free  from  the  parish 
system  where  the  law  allowed  ;  have  worked  through  no  plan 
of  union,  but  have  used  their  wisdom  and  resources  in  the 
extension  of  their  faith  and  polity ;  and  the  result  vindicates 
their  wisdom  and  efficiency.  A  Baptist  writer  says :  "  Our 
principle  of  obedience  to  Christ  makes  us,  first.  Baptists  our- 
selves, and  then  immediately  sets  us  to  making  Baptists  of 
others.  If  we  cease  to  make  proselytes,  it  is  because  we,  so 
far,  cease  to  be  Baptists.  We  become  Baptists  and  we  be- 
come propagandists  of  Baptist  views  by  one  and  the  same 
almighty  creative  act  of  God."39     Had  our  churches  been 

39  Dr.  Wilkinson's  The  Baptist  Principle,  S. 


COXGBEGATIONALISM  AND    CENTRALIZATION.        363 

possessed  of  a  similar  spirit,  or  even  a  spirit  of  caring  for 
their  own,  onr  history  wonld  have  been  our  vindication  for 
efficiency.  Possessing  at  the  outset  well-nigh  the  Republic, 
we  should  have  well-nigh  possessed  it  to<lay.  Of  late  years 
our  churches  have  been  gaining  in  efficiency  without  narrow- 
ness, and  this  objection  begins  to  lose  its  force. 

(8)  Complete  efficiency  is  secured  by  the  union  of  wisdom 
and  resources.  We  do  not  require  for  efficiency  the  sword 
of  Peter  in  the  garden,  but  the  sword  of  the  Spirit ;  not  coer- 
cion, but  love  ;  not  ecclesiastical  courts,  but  Christian  graces ; 
not  bigotry,  but  husbandry.  To  elevate  the  few  and  debase 
the  many  ;  to  compel  assent  against  the  right  of  private  judg- 
ment ;  to  lord  it  over  the  charge  allotted ;  to  be  master  and 
lord  in  the  Church  of  Christ,  —  these  and  such  as  these  are 
not  the  ends  of  chnrch  government;  and  for  these  "Congre- 
gationalism is  a  rope  of  sand,"  neither  strong  nor  efficient. 
But  for  all  the  divine  ends  of  church  government  —  to  foster 
the  growth  of  Christian  graces  in  the  membership ;  to  hold 
fast  and  forth  the  true  faith ;  to  stimulate  the  missionary  spirit 
by  laying  the  whole  responsibility  upon  the  local  churches ;  to 
balance  liberty  and  security  in  even  scale ;  to  join  believers 
in  one  unbroken  front  of  unity  against  all  enemies  —  Con- 
gregationalism is,  we  believe,  the  best,  the  strongest,  the  most 
efficient.  It  preserves  purity,  liberty,  unity.  It  secures  uni- 
versal fellowship,  cooperation,  and  efficiency.  "It  was  the 
plan  of  the  apostles,"  therefore,  "  to  plant  many  absolutely 
independent  churches."  This  is  Congregationalism,  "  a  rope 
of  sand  "  as  respects  authority  ;  but  the  Lord's  appointed 
cord  of  love,  to  bind  in  truth  and  liberty  all  churches  into 
one  in  Christ  Jesus.  We  believe  it  to  be  the  weakest  for 
evil  and  the  strongest  for  good  of  any  form  of  church  gov- 
ernment.*^ May  it  soon  fill  the  world  with  truth,  liberty,  and 
unity. 

§  249.  It  is  said  that  the  form  of  Congregationalism  given 
in  these  Lectures  is  centralizing,  and  is  therefore  subversive  of 
church  independence.     Let  us  repeat  our  denial  of  it. 

*o  12  Cong.  Quart.  500,  561. 


364  THE   CHUBCH-  KIXGDOM 

(1)  The  centralization  of  unity  is  not  dangerous  ;  for  the 
Author  of  Clu'istian  liberty  prayed  that  all  his  followers 
might  be  one,  that  the  world  might  believe  on  him  —  a  unity 
that  is  visible  and  that  exhibits  the  oneness  of  the  indivisible 
church-kingdom.  The  evils  of  the  past  centuries  have  not 
arisen  from  the  associations  of  churches  in  district,  state, 
national,  and  ecumenical  bodies,  the  centralization  of  love  in 
free  fellowship ;  but  liberty  was  lost  in  the  union  of  Church 
and  State  ;  the  centralization  of  love  was  coerced  by  the 
civil  power.  Wherever  there  has  been  a  separation  between 
Church  and  State,  the  movement  in  centralized  systems  has 
been  among  the  people  to  greater  liberty.  Even  the  State 
can  no  longer  enforce  uniformity.  We  must  not  forget  that 
force  in  the  churches  came  from  the  State,  and  falls  with  the 
separation  of  Church  and  State.  It  was  not  born  of  fellow- 
ship.    For 

(2)  Fellowship  is  devoid  of  authority.  It  is  the  associa- 
tion of  equal  and  free  churches.  Authority  is  excluded  by 
constitutional  provision,  and  no  case  of  attempted  coercion 
by  associations  of  churches  has  ever  come  to  our  notice. 

(3)  Votes  of  associations  are  void  of  authority.  We  ex- 
press opinions  by  votes  and  resolutions.  Editors  express 
their  opinions  in  their  papers,  speakers  in  their  speeches. 
If  church  liberty  forbids  the  expression  of  an  opinion  by 
vote  or  resolution,  it  must  also  prevent  editors  and  speakers 
and  preachers  and  others  from  uttering  an  opinion.  Voting 
is  only  a  quick  way  of  ascertaining  opinions.  If  the  force 
of  a  vote  depends  on  the  reason  for  it,  as  does  the  force  of 
a  speech  or  editorial,  the  vote  of  an  association  of  churches 
through  chosen  messengers  is  more  liliely  to  be  wise  and  more 
likely  to  command  the  assent  of  free  churches  than  an  edi- 
torial or  speech  which  represents  only  one  man.  But  a  free 
uniformity  among  indeijendent  churches,  secured  by  means 
of  public  discussion  and  vote,  is  not  a  dangerous  element. 
It  is  not  the  uniformity  of  force  and  proscription,  and  lience 
can  never  create  a  schism ;  it  is  the  uniformity  of  truth  and 


PERILS  ESCAPED.  365 

love.  Under  our  present  system  of  associations  there  is 
greater  liberty  and  closer  fellowship  than  ever  before  in  our 
history. 

(4)  Our  churches,  in  their  closer  fellowship,  have  escaped 
the  bondage  of  personal  leadershi[).  In  the  past,  individuals 
by  commanding  influence  have  ol)tained  great  jjersonal  follow- 
ing, and  have  founded  schools  of  thought,  making  larger  or 
smaller  eddies  in  the  great  stream  of  religious  life  and  l^elief, 
wliich  eddies  absorbed  the  thouglit  and  energies  of  the 
churches  until  they  passed  away.  Against  the  consensus  of 
all  our  churches  expressed  in  state  and  national  bodies,  the 
voice  of  leaders  will  now  be  faint.  The  rise  of  the  relisrious 
paper  would  give  increased  force  to  this  dangerous  element 
of  personal  leadership  but  for  the  associations  of  churches. 
The  churches  will  call  such  leaders  as  once  dominated  New 
England  thought  from  their  speculations  and  j)eculiar  isms 
back  to  the  great  working  doctrines  of  the  gospel  of  Christ. 
The  churches  care  little  for  criticism  or  s})eculation,  but  they 
do  care  for  the  grand  doctrines  of  the  historic  faith  of  Christen- 
dom, which  have  flowed  through  the  centuries  like  a  crystal 
river  from  the  throne  of  God,  burying,  except  for  the  histo- 
rian, system  after  system  of  philosophical  theology.  Eddies 
are  beautiful,  but  they  are  in  shallow  water  or  near  the  shore, 
never  in  the  deep  river.  The  church  members  care  little  for 
the  side  attractions,  but  they  ^\dll  lay  down  their  lives  for 
the  grand  doctrines  of  redeeming  grace.  And  they  can  now 
make  their  voice  heard  as  never  before.  Hence  our  method 
of  associations  of  churches  is  favorable  neither  to  personal 
rule  nor  private  interpretation,  whether  by  pastor,  professor, 
or  editor. 

(5)  There  is  no  danger  to  liberty  in  our  escaping  from 
ministerial  guidance.  Ministerial  associations  (§  205)  have 
exerted  considerable  influence  over  their  members  and 
over  churches.  The  state  association  of  Connecticut  was 
formed  in  1709 ;  that  of  Vermont,  in  179(3 ;  that  of  Massa- 
chusetts, in  1808 ;  and  those  of  New  Hampshire  and  Rhode 


r,66  THE  CHURCH-  KINGDOM. 

Island,  in  1809.  These  bodies  were  for  a  time  composed 
^^"hollJ  of  ministers,  and  acted  for  the  churches  in  many 
things,  as  in  tlie  phxn  of  union  (§  248:  4).  They  consti- 
tuted a  form  of  clerical  government.  Surely  associations  of 
churches  are  as  much  less  dangerous  as  they  are  more  normal 
modes  of  fellowship  than  these  clerical  bodies. 

(6)  There  is  no  danger  to  liberty  in  escaping  from  the 
perils  of  consociationism.  In  1708  twelve  ministers  and  four 
laymen  met  by  order  of  the  Assembly  or  Legislature  of  Con- 
necticut at  Saybrook,  to  devise  a  remedy  for  the  evils  of  lax 
discipline  consequent  upon  the  growing  separation  of  Church 
and  State.  They  framed  and  issued  the  Saybrook  Platform, 
which  the  said  legislature,  witliout  any  further  approval  of 
the  churches,  made  the  estal)lished  ecclesiastical  order  of 
Connecticut.'*^  This  Platform  consociated  the  churches  of  a 
county,  or  of  a  definite  part  of  a  count},  into  an  ecclesiastical 
body  called  a  consociation.  Cases  of  discipline  could  be 
carried  to  a  council  composed  of  the  churches  consociated 
together,  which  should  give  "a  final  issue,  and  all  parties 
therein  concerned  shall  sit  down  and  be  determined  thereby  "; 
or,  if  the  case  were  too  large  or  difficult  for  one  consociation 
to  handle,  another  might  join  with  it  in  determining  the  final 
issue.*^  This  Platform  has  had  a  double  interpretation,  one 
of  which  regards  it  as  purely  Congregational  in  principle 
and  results ;  but  the  other  regards  it  as  subversive  of  the 
independence  of  the  local  churches  and  as  introducing  into 
consociations  the  fundamental  principle  of  Presbyterianism.*^ 
The  latter  was  the  view  of  the  Hartford  North  Association 
of  Ministers.**  This  Platform,  by  going  too  far  in  remedying 
"  the  defects  of  discipline  in  the  churches  "  occasioned  by 
the  partial  but  growing  separation  of  Church  and  State,  hin- 
dered the  introduction  of  a  better  method,  until  the  system 
of  consociated  churches  had  been  largel}'  neglected  in  Con- 

«i  Bacon's  Hist.  Address,  in  Contrib.  to  Eccl.  Hist.  Ct.  38,  39. 

*-  Saybrook  I'lat.  art.  v,  7. 

"  Contrib.  Eccl.  Hist.  40,  seq. 

«  Gillett's  Hist.  Presby.  Ch.  i,  438,  439,  note. 


LIBEIiTT  AND    UNITY  BALANCED.  367 

necticut,  and  prevented  its  spread  into  other  colonies  and 
states.  Yet  the  Saybrook  Platform  saved  every  church  in 
Connecticut  from  the  Unitarian  apostasy,  which  carried  over 
so  many  of  the  uuassociated  cliurches  of  Massachusetts. 
Tliis  plan  of  consociation  now  embraces  only  four  bodies, 
and  these  are  in  Connecticut. 

(7)  Our  present  method  of  church  associations  avoids  all 
centralization  but  tliat  of  united  fellowship.  Our  churches 
are  relieved  from  personal  leadership,  from  civil  and  clerical 
control,  from  consociationism ;  and  our  system  of  church 
associations,  with  redress  in  mutual  councils,  gives  unit}'- 
without  loss  of  liberty.  These  associations  include  all  our 
churches.  If  a  church  violate  its  covenant  which  it  entered 
into  on  joining  the  association,  it  may  be  expelled  for  the 
same,  or  fellowshi]3  may  be  withdrawn  from  it.  But  there  is 
here,  as  in  the  case  of  ministerial  standing  in  associations, 
no  exercise  of  authority  over  the  church ;  for  all  the  associa- 
tion does  is  to  clear  itself  in  self-protection  of  an  unworthy 
member.  The  church  may  manage  all  its  own  affairs,  even 
to  having  whom  it  will  as  pastor ;  but  it  may  not  presume  to 
manage  the  affairs  of  other  churches  and  force  itself  upon 
their  fellowship  in  association ;  for  that  would  be  the  exercise 
of  authority  by  one  church  over  other  churches.  To  deu}-  an 
association  of  churches  this  common  right  of  self-protection, 
under  the  cry  of  centralization,  is  the  absurdity  of  license  ;  is 
to  make  one  wayward  church  supreme  in  power ;  it  is  to  give 
the  said  church  the  right  and  power  to  compel  others  to 
fellowship  it.  Fellowship  is  reciprocal,  between  equals,  and 
it  is  no  centralization  to  exclude  the  unworthy  from  fellow- 
ship. 

(8)  Our  present  method  of  church  associations  rightly 
balances  liberty  and  unity.  It  leaves  each  church  to  man- 
age its  own  affairs  in  all  respects,  while  it  gives  to  all  a  free, 
equal,  visible  fellowsliip  together  in  counsels  and  labors. 
Eacli  church  can  worship  God  as  it  judges  best ;  may  have 
its   own   creed  and  discipline ;  may  choose  and  install  its 


368  THE  CHUBCH-  KINGDOM. 

pastor ;  may  do  whatever  it  likes  within  its  own  organization. 
But  when  the  inherent  law  of  fellowship  causes  it  to  look 
beyond  itself  in  communion  with  other  churches,  it  must 
show  an  evangelical  creed  and  a  Christian  walk  as  the  condi- 
tion of  that  wider  fellowship.  If  ever  it  lapse  from  the 
faith  or  violate  in  other  wa3's  its  covenant,  it  has  given  cause 
for  disfellowship  and  should  be  cut  off  as  unworthy.  If  it 
feel  aggrieved  by  the  action,  it  can  ask  for  a  mutual  council 
to  review  the  whole  case  and  give  advice  as  to  restoration 
or  exclusion,  which  advice  shall  be  final.  This  gives  liberty 
under  unity,  and  unity  in  liberty. 

Thus  the  centralization  presented  in  this  ecumenical  sys- 
tem is  only  the  centralization  of  the  life  of  God  in  the 
hearts  of  redeemed  and  renewed  sinners,  which  manifests  the 
unity  of  the  church-kingdom  in  harmony  with  the  constitu- 
tive piinciple  of  its  manifestation.  In  it  the  prayer  of 
Christ  Jesus  may  be  fully  answered,  that  all  may  be  one, 
while  liberty  is  assured  unto  the  feeblest  church. 

§  250.  It  has  been  said  that  Congregationalism  was  an 
anomaly  in  the  days  of  the  apostles.  "•  The  presumption 
that  a  pure  democracy  was  at  once  established  in  every  in- 
stance where  a  church  was  organized,  whether  on  Gentile  or  on 
Jewish  soil  —  that  one  uniform  mode  was  inflexibly  followed, 
in  whatever  form  of  civil  society,  and  without  regard  to  the 
antecedent  experience  or  culture  of  those  uniting  in  the  or- 
ganization ;  and  especially  that  a  type  of  government  which 
had  literally  no  representative,  or  even  suggestion,  among 
the  civil  governments  then  existing,  and  which  neither  the 
Jewish  believer  trained  in  the  synagogue  system,  nor  the 
Gentile  believer  disciplined  under  the  imperial  sway  of  Rome, 
could  possibly  have  comprehended  at  the  outset,  was  inva- 
riably instituted  wherever  Christianity  was  carried  —  is  cer- 
tainly one  which  it  is  difficult  for  any  mind  that  appreciates 
these  conditions  even  to  entertain."  *^ 

(1)  If  Christianity  were  an  evolution,  it  could  hardly  have 

«5  Prof.  Morris's  Ecclesiology,  18S5, 135,  136. 


THE  PBIMITIVE  ANOMALY.  369 

appeared  in  the  world  under  this  reasoning ;  but  it  was  a  rev- 
elation, not  a  mere  evolution,  and  as  such  it  would  naturally 
take  in  its  beginning,  whatever  its  environment,  the  essen- 
tial form  in  doctrine  and  polity  of  its  final  completeness. 
The  leaven  hid  in  the  meal  is  the  leaven  that  leavens  the 
.  whole  lump. 

(2)  The  gospel  was  an  anomaly  in  the  world,  and  it  were 
not  strange  if  its  polity  were  also  an  anomaly.  True,  the 
preceding  dispensations  had  i)repared  the  way  for  it,  and  so. 
had  they  prepared  the  way  also  for  the  polity  of  independent 
churches.  Professor  Morris  admits  that  the  Scriptural  con- 
ception of  the  church  is  an  anomaly :  —  "  Not  as  an  empire  or 
an  oligarchy,  but  rather  as  a  spiritual  democracy  —  a  holy 
brotherhood  of  saints,  in  which  _the  principle  of  equality  is 
the  fundamental  law,  and  in  which  those  who  rule,  in  what- 
ever station,  are  still  the  servants  of  all,  in  the  name  of 
Christ."^  This  anomalous  equality  made  the  churches 
independent  because  equal. 

(3)  The  Jews  were  well  acquainted,  and  had  been  for  cen- 
turies, with  synagogues,  each  independent  of  each  and  all 
the  rest.  Each  elected  its  own  officers  and  conducted  its 
own  discipline.  In  this  conceded  equality  and  independence 
are  found  the  elements  of  Congregationalism  (§§  41  :  3 ; 
102). 

(4)  But  no  presumption  can  set  aside  a  fact.  It  is  con- 
ceded that  the  primitive  churches  were  independent  democ- 
racies (§  109)  ;  that  it  was  "  the  plan  of  the  apostles  to 
plant  many  churches  each  absolutely  independent  of  the 
rest."  And  this  they  did.  Within  there  may  have  been, 
and  the  oldest  liturgies  prove  that  there  were,  minor  diversi- 
ties of  worship  and  order,  but  without  all  were  independent 
one  of  another,  as  were  the  Jewish  synagogues.  The}^  were 
democracies ;  no  point  connected  with  them  is  more  fully 
demonstrated  or  more  generally  conceded,  which  no  pre- 
sumption drawn  from  an  unfavorable  environment  can  be 
allowed  to  set  aside. 

<6  Prof.  Morris's  Ecclesiology,  1885,  135. 


370  THE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

§  251.  Removing  what  is  common  to  other  polities  from 
Congregationalism,  the  remainder  is  said  "  to  be  too  casual 
and  too  slight  to  sustain  the  extensive  fabric  of  inferences 
based  upon  it."  *"  But  its  conceded  constitutive  principle 
will  bear  the  load  of  inferences  even  unto  ecumenical  unity. 
Nothing  more  is  needed  ;  for  fellowship  is  able  to  construct, 
after  many  past  experiments,  on  this  one  principle,  a  com- 
j)lete  and  permanent  method  of  exhibiting  the  unity  of 
the  church-kingdom.  The  temple  is  rising  upon  this  one 
foundation. 

§  252.  And  this  anomalous  democratic  polity  gives  ample 
scope  for  the  exercise  of  all  the  authority  deposited  in  the 
churches.  Professor  Morris  says:  "There  is  conveyed  in 
this  theory  an  inadequate  conception  of  the  true  province 
and  worth  of  government  as  a  central  feature  of  all  church 
organizations."  ^^  He  cites  in  support  of  the  worth  of  gov- 
ernment as  the  central  feature  of  all  churcli  organizations 
these  passages:  1  Cor.  12:  28;  2  Peter  2:  10;  Rom.  12:  8; 
Heb.  13  :  7,  17  ;  1  Tim.  5:17;  Acts  20  :  17,  28  ;  and  the 
Corinthian  Epistles.  Congregationalism  heartily  uses  all  the 
authority  and  government  here  referred  to.  It  exhausts  the 
panel. 

These  are  all  the  objections  given  by  Professor  Morris  in 
his  recent  work  referred  to,  save  the  one  given  in  §  247  on 
fellowship.  They  lie  forcibly  against  independency,  but  not 
against  Congregationalism,  and  so  are  easily  answered  as  not 
relevant. 

§  253.  As  a  final  resort  it  is  said  that  church  government 
is  left  by  Christ  and  his  apostles  to  the  discretion  of  believers 
in  every  age.  The  objection  leaves  the  Papacy,  Episcopacy, 
Presbyterianism,  and  Congregationalism  as  equally  author- 
ized. If  the  objection  were  true,  our  polity  would  have 
a  better  claim  than  any  other,  for  it  is  the  conceded  polity  of 
the  apostles,  who  had  the  spirit  of  Christ.  The}^  planted  in- 
dependent churches,  and  so  gave  this  polity  the  preference 
in  act,  if  not  in  word.     But  the  objection  is  not  true. 

"  Prof.  Morris's  Ecclesiologj',  18S5,  136.  «  Ibid. 


POLITY  AND   DISCBETION.  371 

(1)  Polity  is  of  the  essence  of  the  Church.  The  Church 
is  the  communion  of  saints,  who  are  citizens  of  one  and  the 
same  church-kingdom.  That  communion  rests  on  some  nor- 
mal principle  and  must  take  a  form  consistent  therewith. 
Form  here,  as  in  nature,  is  determined  l)y  the  life,  and  the 
same  stage  in  life  does  not  produce  many  forms.  The  holy 
life  of  faith,  the  reign  of  Christ  in  the  hearts  of  men,  must 
manifest  itself  in  some  form  built  after  the  essential  nature 
of  that  life  and  reign.  It  can  not  fundamentally  be  one 
thing  here  and  now  and  another  thing  at  another  time  and 
place.  In  the  divine  mind  the  church-kingdom  has  but  one 
normal  development  into  visible  churches,  and  hence  but  one 
normal  relation  of  church  to  church  (§§  47,  98).  Church 
polity  can  not  be  incidental  and  discretionary,  therefore,  but 
of  the  essence  of  the  Church.  Polity  is  the  mould  or  form 
which  the  church-kingdom  takes  in  manifestation ;  and  as 
there  can  be,  in  God's  thought,  but  one  mode  of  manifesta- 
tion in  exact  accord  with  the  nature  of  the  church-kingdom, 
there  can  be  but  one  true  polity.  Hence  church  polity  is  not 
discretionary. 

(2)  This  is  the  conviction  of  men.  Not  one  of  the  four 
great  polities  but  claims  or  has  claimed  a  divine  warrant  for 
it.  All  instinctively  feel  that  human  expediency  or  discre- 
tion touching  the  organic  form  of  a  divine  revelation  is 
unwarranted.  Hence  they  search  the  Scriptures  as  with 
a  lighted  candle  for  some  word  or  phrase  or  text  which  may 
support  their  theory.  And  it  must  be  confessed  with  shame 
that  often  the  holy  Scriptures  have  been  perverted  into  sup- 
port of  a  particular  polity.  The  Revised  Version  of  the 
New  Testament  removed  several  such  perversions  from  the 
Authorized  Version.  These  perversions  and  the  persistenc}' 
with  which  men  return  to  the  Bible  for  proofs  reveal  the  deep- 
seated  conviction  that  i)olity  is  not  discretionary.  It  is  not 
until  tliey  are  driven  from  the  revealed  Word  in  confusion 
that  they  resort  to  the  claim  of  expediency  and  discretion 
for  refuse. 


372  THE   CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

(3)  The  New  Testament  gives  the  constitutive  principle 
of  one  of  the  great  polities  with  sufficient  clearness  to  indi- 
cate conclusively  what  polity  the  church-kingdom  requires. 
That  principle  deposits  the  permanent  power  of  discipline  in 
the  local  churches  (§  161 :  2)  ;  it  forbids  prelatical  rule  ;  it 
shows  that  the  apostles  planted  independent  churches.  This 
is  so  clearly  proved  that  it  is  conceded  by  those  who  hold 
other  polities.  Archbishop  Whately  calls  it  "the  plan  of 
the  apostles."  Now  if  this  one  constitutive  principle  be  con- 
ceded, all  else  follows  ;  but  the  proof  compels  the  concession. 
With  this  concession  all  questions  of  expediency  and  discre- 
tion are  swallowed  up  in  the  divine  plan. 

(4)  It  is  the  duty  of  all  Christians  to  obey  the  will  of 
Christ  in  polity  as  in  doctrine.  If  appeal  be  taken  to  tradi- 
tion, decrees  of  councils,  papal  bulls,  inner  light,  reason, 
discretion,  expediency,  or  any  thing  else,  it  can  be  done  as 
well  for  doctrine  as  for  polity,  and  the  churches  are  cut  loose 
from  Christ  their  Head  and  King  at  once.  Once  out  on 
such  a  sea,  shipwreck  is  certain.  The  Avill  of  Christ,  when 
made  known,  is  our  only  law  and  safety.  The  churches, 
through  an  unfavorable  environment  and  union  with  the 
State,  broke  away  from  the  plan  of  the  apostles,  and  since 
then  have  tried  every  form  of  polity ;  but  the  corruptions  in 
doctrine  and  morals,  and  the  oppressions  and  persecutions 
under  authority,  have  proved  that  in  church  polity  the  way 
of  the  transgressor  is  hard.  And  so  they  are  slowly  returning 
from  their  wanderings  unto  the  primitive  polity  again. 

(5)  The  future  belongs  to  the  primitive  church  polity  of 
unity  in  liberty.  If  our  reasoning  in  these  Lectures  be  cor- 
rect, the  ecumenical  unity  of  the  Mediator's  prayer  will  be 
reached  not  througli  the  polity  of  an  infallible  primacy,  or  of 
apostolic  succession,  or  of  authoritative  representation,  but 
through  the  polity  of  church  independency  or  liberty.  And 
since  the  right  of  private  judgment  has  been  vindicated,  the 
drift  has  been  setting  strongly  towards  that  liberty  both  in 
Church  and  in   State.     "  And  the  most  significant  fact  of 


CONOREGATIONALISM  AND    THE  FUTURE.  373 

modern  Christian  history  is  that,  within  the  last  hundred 
years,  many  miUions  of  our  own  race  and  our  own  [An- 
ghcan]  Church,  without  departing  fiom  the  ancient  faith, 
have  slipped  from  beneath  the  inelastic  frame-work  of  the 
ancient  organization,  and  foj-mod  a  group  of  new  societies  on 
the  basis  of  a  closer  Christian  brotherhood  and  an  almost 
absolute  democracy."*^  Democratic  institutions  are  in  the 
air  as  never  before.  A  ground-swell  has  begun  wliich  will 
not  cease  until  liberty  in  Church  and  State  is  assured  unto 
all  the  people  in  all  lands.  Our  fathers  brought  liberty  to 
this  continent  at  great  cost ;  they  put  liberty  at  first  under 
restraint ;  and  they  complained  of  those  who  kept  "  buzzing 
our  people  in  the  ear  with  a  thing  they  call  liberty,  which 
when  they  have  tasted  a  smack  of,  they  can  no  more  endure 
to  hear  of  a  synod  or  gathering  together  of  able  and  ortho- 
dox Christians,  nor  3'et  the  communion  of  churches,  but 
would  be  independent  to  purpose,  and  as  for  civil  govern- 
ment, they  deem  religion  to  be  a  thing  l)eyond  their  sphere."^ 
This  "thing  they  call  liberty"  has  been  buzzed  in  the  ear  of 
the  people  to  some  purpose  in  this  and  in  other  lands. 
"Sixty  years  ago  [1820]  Europe  Avas  an  aggregate  of  des- 
potic powers,  disposing  at  their  own  pleasure  of  the  lives 
and  property  of  their  subjects,  maintaining  by  systematic 
neglect  [of  common  schools]  the  convenient  ignorance  which 
renders  misgovernment  easy  and  safe.  To-day  [1880]  the 
men  of  western  Europe  govern  themselves.  Popular  suf- 
frage, more  or  less  closely  approaching  universal,  chooses  the 
governing  power,  and  by  methods  more  or  less  effective  dic- 
tates its  policy.  One  hundred  and  eighty  million  Europeans 
have  risen  from  a  degraded  and  ever-dissatisfied  vassalage  to 
the  rank  of  free  and  self-governing  men."  "Never  since  the 
stream  of  human  development  received  into  its  sluggish  cur- 
rents the  mighty  impulse  communicated  by  the  Christian 
religion  has  the  condition  of  man  experienced  ameliorations 

"  Hatch's  Org.  Early  Christ.  Chhs.  215. 

^  Johnson's  Woniler  Working  Providence,  book  i,  chap.  xliv. 


374  THE  CHURCH- KINGDOM. 

SO  vast.  .  .  .  The  nineteenth  century  has  witnessed  the  fall  of 
despotism  and  the  establishment  of  liberty  in  the  most  influ- 
ential nations  of  the  world.  It  has  vindicated  for  all  suc- 
ceeding ages  the  right  of  man  to  his  own  unimpeded  develop- 
ment. .  .  .  The  growth  of  man's  well-behig,  rescued  from 
the  mischievous  tampering  of  self-willed  princes,  is  left  now 
to  the  beneficent  regulation  of  great  providential  laws."^i 
"The  people  are  every -where  and  in  every  thing  coming  to 
the  front,  and  in  the  front  henceforth  they  are  destined  for- 
ever to  remain."  ^^ 

The  labor  ferments  reveal  a  determined  movement  on  the 
part  of  the  people  to  share  in  some  just  and  equitable  way 
in  the  management  and  profit  of  business.     The  laborer  is 
no  longer  content  with  his  wages  while  his  employer  pockets 
the  profits,  but  he  too  claims  a  share  in  the  profits,  and  he 
will  not  rest  until  he  obtains  it  and  stands  on  a  level  with 
his  employer.     There  is,  in  fact,  to  be  in  the  future  no  gov- 
erning class  in  business,  in  the  State,  and  in  the   Church, 
whose  function  it  is  to  rule  the  people.     There  is  to  be  a 
brotherhood  including  all  on  terms  of  equality.     This  move- 
ment touching  business,  the  State,  and  the   Church  may  be 
hindered,  but  it  can  not  be  stayed.     It  is  born  of  the  Father- 
hood of  God  and  the  brotherhood  of  man.     And  those  forms 
of  government,  wherever  found,  which  raise  a  class  of  rulers 
into  an  aristocracy  or  a  hierarchy  over  the  ruled  are  destined 
to  perish  from  the  earth.     The  Papacy,  the  Episcopacy,  and 
Presbyterianism  thus  separate  the  rulers  from  the  ruled,  but 
each  in  its  degree.     No  bridge  can  unite  the  ruled  and  the 
rulers  under  those  systems  and  make  them  one.     The  rulers 
must  come  down  to  the  people  and  become  one  with  them  in 
a  democracy.     There  is  no  other  way.     The  king  of  England 
cried  out :  "  No  bishop,  no  king,"  and  harried  the  Puritans 
out   of    his    kingdom.     Events    are   justifying   the    wisdom 
of  his  mad  cry.     For  a  free  Church  ends  in  a  free  State  > 

"  Mackenzie's  Hist.  Nineteenth  Century,  459,  460. 
"  Prof.  Ladd's  Principles  Ch.  Polity,  331. 


CONGEEGATIONALISM  AND    THE  FUTURE.  375 

religious  liberty  is  the  mother  of  civil  freedom.  Chiistianity 
builds  democracies;  for  it  teaches  the  brotherhood  of  mau 
and  the  equality  of  all  churches  and  Christians.  This  world- 
movement  towards  liberty  was  begun  at  Calvary  and  will 
end  only  in  the  ecumenical  millennial  glory.  "  Christianity's 
unaccomplished  mission  is  to  re-construct  society  on  the  basis 
of  brotherhood.  What  it  has  to  do  it  does,  and  will  do,  in 
and  through  organization.  .  .  .  But  the  framing  of  its  organi- 
zation is  left  to  human  hands.  To  you  and  me  and  men  like 
ourselves  is  committed,  in  these  anxious  days,  that  wliich  is 
at  once  an  awful  responsibility  and  a  splendid  destiny  —  to 
transform  this  modern  world  into  a  Christian  society;  to 
change  the  socialism  which  is  based  on  the  assumption  of 
clashing  interests  into  the  socialism  which  is  based  on  the 
sense  of  spiritual  union  ;  and  to  gather  together  the  scattered 
forces  of  a  divided  Christendom  into  a  confederation  in 
which  organization  will  be  of  less  account  than  fellowship 
with  one  spirit  and  faith  in  one  Lord  —  into  a  communion 
wide  as  human  life  and  deep  as  human  need — into  a  Church 
which  shall  outshine  even  the  golden  glory  of  its  dawn  by 
the  splendor  of  its  eternal  noon."  ^ 

M  Hatch's  Org.  Early  Christ.  Chhs.  216. 


INDEX. 


Aaronic  priesthood,  ]3, 132. 

Abrahamic  Call  ami  Covenant,  7, 8, 10, 11, 
12,  31, -208, '211. 

Accountability  of  ministers,  154-165,  ITS- 
ITS. 

Activities,  church,  312-323;  cooperation 
in,  314;  deterniined  by  polity,  93,  94. 

Acts  9 :  31,  meaning  of  "  church  "  in,  lOfl- 
1G8. 

Advci-tising  church  troubles,  255. 

Advice  changed  into  decrees  ijy  the  state, 
■im,  325. 

Alford,  Dean,  on  apostolical  succes- 
sion, 141,  142. 

Alliance  between  church  and  the  world, 
331,332,342,343. 

Alliance,  Evanjiclical,  Creed,  23T. 

Alliance,  l'ri'<l)ytiTian,  74;  abandon.^ 
constitutive  principle,  T4,  T.");  number 
of  churches  in,  TO. 

American  churches  and  the  State,  327- 
337. 

Anabaptists  and  the  ministry,  134. 

Andrews,  Prof.  E.  B.,  31,  40. 

"Angels,"  the,  of  "the  seven  churches," 
i4(;,  147. 

Anglican  Church  and  the  Bible,  66;  and 
fellowship,  66;  its  standard  of  faith, 
66,  99;  origin,  6ti;  Prayer  Book  of,  66; 
visible  church,  4. 

Apostates  from  the  kingdom,  110. 

Apostle,  election  of  an,  114,  115. 

Apostles,  the,  138-142;  administration  of 
sacraments  by,  226;  authority  of,  140; 
authority  of,  "over  cliurclu-s,  124;  com- 
pleted church  order,  142 ;  e(|Ual  in  rank, 
140;  founded  churches  every  where,  37; 
inspired,  139,  140;  meaning  of  tlieir 
name,  124;  miraculous  gifts  of,  140; 
number  of,  138;  qualifications  of,  1(8- 
142;  selected  by  Christ,  138;  successors 
of,  141,  142;  taught  by  Christ,  139. 

Apostolate,  the,  temporary,  140-142;  va- 
caiK'ies  in,  124,  141,  142. 

Apostolic,  churches,  composed  of  saints, 
107,  108;  Father^,  on  independence  of 
churches,  118,  119;  succession,  62,  63,  85, 
86,  141,  142. 

Apostolical  constitutions,  60,  135,  173,200, 
201,  212,221. 

Apiieals,  associations  and,  160-1(>3; 
churches  and,  112,  113;  Presbyterian, 
71-74 

Association,  church,  a  law  of  the  king- 
dom, 38-40;  ecumenical,  needed,  38,  82, 
311. 

Associations  of  churches.  29.5-306;  author- 
itv  of,  300,  301;  avoid  centralization, 
284,  29."),  2%,  3(53-368;  conditions  of  mem- 
bership in,  302,  347;  councils  and,  282; 
covenant   of,  296,  298,  302;    deposition 


by,  288,  289;  discipline  by,  301-304;  dis- 
trict,  81,  82;  early,  in  America,  297,  298; 
ICnglish,  2'.)8;  expulsion  from,  163,  164, 
2.S2,  283,  31(1-3114:  fellowship  in,  295;  im- 
portal, ce  of,  295,  296;  Massachusetts 
Colony  on,  297;  mcndiership  in,  298, 
299,  :i().j ;  mistakes  and,  KiO,  288 ;  \iational, 
82;  normal,  269;  origin,  296-298;  partici- 
pate in  councils,  282-2S4  ;  i)astoral  dele- 
gates in,  302,  303;  rcpreMMitation  in, 
298,  299;  state,  82;  warrant  of,  296; 
Year  IJook  and,  283,  2s4,  2sf,,  305. 

Associations  of  ministers,  2'.t-"-295. 

Attempted  return  to  Patriarchal  Church. 
17,  18. 

Augustine  and  the  Donatists,  49;  on  bish- 
ops and  elders,  145. 

Authoritative  repi'esentation,  (-onstitu- 
tive  priiuiiile  of  Presbyteriaidsm,  72. 

Authority  of  svnoils  untler  Constantine, 
325,  337. 

Bacon,  Dr.  Leonard,  21. 

Bancroft.  George,  on  the  Puritans,  89. 

Baptism,  207-216;  a<lministered  by  whom, 
22.5-228;  adult,  211;  Christian,  reciuired, 
32,  33,  207;  confession  of  Christ  and, 
215,  216;  conlirniation  and,  214;  essen- 
tial elements  in,  207;  in  distress,  226, 
227;  in I'ant,  211-213;  infant,  and  church 
mendiership,  2i:i-216;  infant,  more  than 
consecration,  216;  Initiatory  rite,  :;08, 
219;  intent  essential,  209;  John's,  not 
Christian,  33,  2(i8,  209;  mode  of,  210,  211; 
nature  of,  207,  208;  only  once  to  be  ad- 
ministered, 210;  prerecpiisite  to  the  Eu- 
charist, 219;  purity  of  the  churches 
and,  107-109,  211-216;  Roman  Catholic, 
209,  210;  salvation  and,  29,  .54,  212,227; 
subjeits  of,  211-213;  superseded  circum- 
cision, 108,  207-209,  212;  symbol  of  a 
changed  life,  105,  100,  207,  208;  Unitari- 
an, 209. 

Baptismal  regeneration,  .50,  213. 

Baptist  view  of  the  covenant  and  chil- 
dren, 211,  210. 

Baptists,  elTiciencv  of,  359,362;  standard 
of  faith,  99. 

Baptized  children,  discipline  of,  235;  re- 
lalion  to  the  church,  21.3-216. 

Barnabas,  called  an  apostle,  138,  141. 

Basis,  doctrinal  and  ecclesiastical,  of  the 
National  Council,  346,  347. 

Ba.ses,  doctrinal,  of  state  bodies,  346,  .347. 

Believers  and  visible  churches,  171. 

Bible,  the,  inspired,  33,  .U;  other  stand 
ards  than,  98,  99;  sole  standard,  99. 

Bigotry,  polities  not  due  to,  41,  94. 

"  Binding"  and  "  loosing,"  113,  114. 

Bishops,  primitive,  same  as  elders,  00, 
61,  1-24,  145;  presiding,  61,  62. 


378 


INDEX. 


Brotherhood,  primitive  churches  a,  96; 

Christian,  and  polity,  127, 130;  Christian 

society  to  be  liuil   on,  374,  375. 
Browne,  Robert,  and  polity,  91,  268. 
Buck,    Kdward,   Esq.,  Mass.   Eccl.  Law, 

admissibility  of    evidence,  -iol;     legal 

elements  in  installation,  290. 
Bunsen,     independence     of      primitive 

churches,  126. 
Burial  Hill  Declaration,  346. 
Business,    church,    demands    order  and 

regularity,  229,  231. 

Calvin,  John,  author  of  Presbyteriauism, 
71;  his  Institutes,  18;  used  temporal 
power,  326. 

Cambridge  Confession,  346. 

Camliridge  I'latfonn  and  the  General 
Court,  34.5  n. 

Candlish,  Dr.  J.  S.,  28,  43,  90. 

Catechumens,  221,  312,313;  early  manual 
for,  313. 

Censures,  church,  254;  public  announce- 
ment of,  2.i5;  vote  to  lift,  254,  2.55. 

Centralization,  dangers  avoided,  367. 

Ceremonial  Church,  11-17;  covenant  of, 
11,  12;  inadequacy  of,  16;  developed 
into  the  Christian  Church,  32,  33,  128; 
unity  of,  12, 13. 

Ceremonial  Dispensation,  a  Theocracy, 
14;  covered  all  codes,  12;  development 
from  the  Patriarchal,  11,  12;  bound  to 
the  Patriarchal,  31;  national  form  of 
the  Church  of  God,  11-17;  temporary, 
16,  17;  unity  of,  12,  13,  1.5, 16. 

Ceremonial  Law  abolished,  120;  inade- 
(juate,  16;  minute  and  flxed,  13. 

Challenge,  no  right  of,  in  trials,  2.50,  280. 

"  Chiefs,"  in  Kew  Testament,  146. 

Children,  church  duties  towards,  213-216, 
235;  may  not  vote,  2.57,  2.58. 

China,  government  of,  older  than  the 
Papacy,  47. 

Clirist  Jesus  a  High  Priest,  132,  1.33;  as- 
sumed regal  power,  24;  superseded 
other  priesthoods,  133;  taught  for 
churches,  111-113. 

Christian  Church,  98;  early  confusion  of 
thought  respecting,  47-51;  priesthood 
in,  133,  1.34. 

Christian  Dispensation,  21 ;  bound  to  the 
Ceremonial,  31 ;  not  a  succession  but  a 
continuance,  30,  31. 

Christianity,  adjustments  of,  94-96;  not 
an  evolution,  131,  342,  368,  369. 

Church,  meaning  of,  166;  3Iatt.  18:  17, 
111-113. 

Church,  a,  110,  111,  170,  171;  in  Episco- 
pacy, 64,  65;  not  a  congregation,  107; 
not  a  voluntary  society,  171;  parity  in, 
171, 172;  tests  of  admission  to,  105. 

Church  board,  185;  duties  of,  186;  im- 
portance of,  186;  trial  by,  219,  3.57. 

Church  of  God,  conditioned  in  apostasy, 
6;  forms  of,  3,  4,  21;  origin  of,  6,  7; 
what  it  is,  5,98;  Hvithout  cleavage,  32, 
33. 

Church  of  Christ,  the,  4,  5,  i)8;  a  develop- 
ment in  part,  32,  33,  109;  doctrine  of, 
one,  not  many,  44,  45;  manifests  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  4i,  43,  98,  104;  the- 
ories of,  40,  45,  46,  84,  85;  true  theory, 
41,  97,98,  118,  119,  126-130;  visible  and 
invisible,  4,49,  50;  importance  of  this 


distinction,  .50;  manward  side  of  the 
kingdom,  103. 

Church  government,  force  of  faulty  ad- 
ministration of,  3.56. 

Churrli-kinploni,  the,  103,  104,  121. 

Churcli  meetings,  importance  of  regu- 
lar, 231. 

Chui'ch  polities,  narrow  lines  separate, 
41;  origin  of,  .39,40. 

Church  relations,  all  Israel  entered,  12, 
no  salvation  out  of  papal,  29,  48. 

Church  taxation,  333. 

Churches,  activities  of,  312-323;  author- 
ity of  democratic,  355,  364;  baptism  ad- 
mitted to  primitive,  105,  106;  boards  of 
control  in,  1.^5;  city,  of  jsew  Testament, 
168-170;  cooperation  of,  314;  discipline 
of,  111-113;  discipline  of  primitive,  106, 
107;  doctrinal  soundness  of  Congrega- 
tional, 347,  349,3.50;  divine  factors  in 
fellowship,  39,  364;  holy  assemblies, 
104-108;  indei)cndenceo(  primitive,  110- 
130;  independent  of  the  State,  324, 
325,  332;  lile-centers  of  evangelization, 
312,  339;  manifest  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  .36,  37,  104;  materials  of,  100, 
104-108;  members  of,  eijual,  171,  172; 
mission  of,  never  abandoned,  95,  nudti 
plieilnotthidugb  bigotry,  41 ;  number  of 
in  New  England,  in  l<;4s,  .■54.5  n;  organs 
of  the  Holy  .Spirit,  126,  i52,  1.53,  323; 
])lanted  every -where,  37;  primitive  In- 
tercourse of,  116,  117;  property  of,  324, 
33.5-337;  relation  of,  to  kingdom  of 
heaven,  43-45;  relation  of,  to  State,  .323- 
.337;  in  Connecticut,  337,  338;  in  New 
England,  328;  in  papal  countries,  57, 
.58;  relation  of,  to  the  world,  341-343; 
subject  to  no  Episcopacy,  123-125; 
nor  to  a  General  Assembly,  125,  126; 
nor  to  an  Infallible  Primate,  121-123; 
terms  of  admission  to,  105;  training  for 
the  Scriiilural  i>olity,  94-96;  troubles  of, 
should  not  be  advertised,  2.55;  true  fac- 
tors of  evangelization,  312,  339;  union 
of,  with  the  State,  introduced  force,  325; 
unity  of,  essential,  110,  119;  worship 
essential  to,  194,  195. 

Circumcision  admitted  to  the  kahal  of  Is- 
rael, 101 ;  of  the  heart,  12;  rite  of,  8,  13. 

Civil  Courts,  look  into  constitution  and 
proceedings  of  councils  before  enforc- 
ing result,  279  «. 

Civil  law,  churches  are  subject  to,  324, 
325,  33:-337. 

Cleavage  produced  by  force,  not  liberty, 
76,  77,  266,  3.58. 

Clement  Homanus,  70,  107,  112,  113,  118, 
126,  153,  2.35. 

Clerk,  church,  186;  duties  of,  187,  191; 
qualilications,  187. 

Clubs,  heathen,  prepare  for  the  church, 
36,  .38. 

Coercion  and  reform,  266,  358,  359. 

Coleman,  on  independence  of  primitive 
churches,  126,  127. 

Comity,  church,  337-.341;  and  <;reeds, 
338, '340;  criterion  in,  338,  340;  respects 
polity,  340;  rests  on  private  judgment, 
337,  .338;  unevangelical  bodies  excluded 
from,  338,  340. 

Commercial  aspects  of  churches,  .342,  343. 

Committees,  appointed  by  a  church,  189, 
190. 


INDEX. 


379 


Communicants  in  tlic  Eucharist,  218-224 ; 
must  be  l)ai)ti/.c(l  believers,  21i);  and 
diurch  members,  219;  tliese  terms  con- 
firmed, 220. 

Communion,  the,  of  churches,  38,  39,  264- 
2<;(i;  of  saints,  3,  5,  12,  3G,  38,  39,  42,  80, 
264. 

Complaint,  the,  in  cases  of  discipline,  242, 
246,  247. 

Conditions  of  church  membership,  lO.'ijlOG. 

Conferences  of  churches  (see  Associa- 
tions), 29.T-3(Mi;  tlistrict,  state,  and 
national,  81,82;  express  stated  fellow- 
ship, 81 ;  may  be  parties  to  councils, 
273,  282-284. 

Conlirnuition,  Episcopal,  by  a  bishop,  64, 
G,*);  sacrament,  so-called,  of,  205. 

Confession,  effect  of,  on  trial,  248;  on 
joiuinsr  a  church,  215,  216,  222,  347,  348. 

Confessions,  general,  of  Congregational- 
ists,  345,  346. 

Confusion  of  thought.  Papacy  arose 
from,  47-50. 

Congregation,  not  the  church,  107;  of  Is- 
rael, 12, 100,  101  (see  also  kahul). 

Congregational  churches,  83;  in  New 
England  in  1648,  345  m;  their  guards  to 
purity,  345-355;  unity  Of,  357-3.59. 

Congregational  Puritans,  90,  326. 

Congregational  Quarterly,  influence  of, 
307,  30t<. 

Congregational  theory  of  the  Christian 
Church,  79-84;  the  oldest,  79;  secures 
unity,  82,  31 1 ,  357-3.59,  375. 

Congi-egational  Union  of  England  and 
Wales,  307;  creed  of ,  346. 

Congregationalism,  alinormal  develop- 
ment of,  in  Anierica,  3.32;  an  "  anom- 
aly," 368,  369;  constitutive  principle  of, 
80,  372;  development  of,  81,  82;  future 
prospects,  130,  372-.'}75;  historical,  stud- 
fed,  22;  not  infallible,  84;  not  a  narrow 
theme,  1;  proof  of,  Ki,  110-128;  republi- 
can, 93;  revolutiouarv,  b4;  saved  in  the 
West  by  laymen,  3.5.',  3.")3,  361;  shuns 
independency  and  authority,  79;  uni- 
fying principle  in,  39,  40;  uni"ty  of,  3.57- 
359;  wanting  in  no  element,  83,  84. 

Congregationalists,  (listrusleci  tlieir  pol- 
ity, 361;  national  chun-hes  rejected  by, 
90;  standard  of  faith,  99,  345-347;  who 
are,  83. 

Connecticut,  ministerial  standing  in,  155, 
295;  restraint  of  liberty  in,  337,  338; 
Unitarianism  in,  367. 

Consociationism,  86,  297,  360,  366,  367. 

Constantine  and  the  church,  325,  337. 

Constitutive  principle,  delined,  40,45,46; 
of  Congregationalism,  80;  of  Episco- 
pacy, 62;  of  the  Papacy,  52;  of  Presby- 
terianism,  72. 

Cooperation  among  churches,  314-323; 
matters  included  in,  314;  methods  of, 
31.5-317;  through  church  associations, 
317,  318;  through  close  cor|iorations, 
316;  through  voluntary  contributors, 
315;  through  combining"  these,  316,  317; 
normal  method,  317- ;19;  advantages  of 
the  normal  method,  321,322;  obstacles 
to  a  return,  31!K521 :  re(iuire<l,  314-317; 
priJnitive  method,  315,  317,  318;  English 
method,  318,  319. 

Corinthian  Church,  discipline  in  the,  112, 
113. 


Corporation,  church,  330,  331. 

Council,  authority  of  the,  of  Jerusalem, 
124. 

Council  of  churches,  a,  272;  an  associa- 
tion a  party  to,  273,  282-284;  called  by 
whom,  272;  letters  missive,  272;  mem- 
bership in,  272;  (juorum  of,  273;  rights 
of  members  in,  272,  273. 

Councils  of  churches,  267-29-2,  327;  abnor- 
mal system,  2(iS,  269;  accounted  for  in 
New  England,  2(!i)-27l ;  associations 
parties  to,  273,  ■.'82-284 ;  associations  may 
supplant.  2SS,  2>s9;  called  sometimes  by 
the  Stale,  270,  271 ;  confounded  one  with 
another,  277,278;  courts  and,  278,  279; 
earliest,  124;  dun  parte,  275;  ftc  parte, 
276;  fellowship  in,  limited,  81,274;  li- 
nal  resort,  287;  functions  of,  limited,  81, 
273,  274;  general,  124,  268;  inadecjuate 
as  safeguards,  160,  161,  178,  281,  290- 
292;  installing  and  ordaining,  273, -^90; 
kinils  of,  274;  limited  use  of,  160,  161, 
291;  ministerial  discipline  by,  284-287; 
mistaices  by,  not  easily  corrected,  160; 
mutual,  27.5,  276;  no  right  of  challenge, 
2^0;  olijects,  273;  origin  of,  politico- 
ecclesiastical,  268-271;  packing,  281, 
282;  procedure  in,  278;  quorum  in,  273; 
recognition,  290;  result  of,  278,  279,  280; 
scope  of,  273,  274;  size  of,  274;  tempo- 
rary, 279;  rnii  parte,  275;  warrant  lor, 
267. 

Covenant,  Abrahamic,  7,  11,  12;  church, 
170,  171. 

Coxe,  IJishop,  abolition  of  epis<;oi)ate  in 
Roman  Church,  .58,  59,  86;  priority  of 
tlie  Greek  Churcli,  47. 

Creed,  assent  to,  347,  348;  importance  of 
a,  106,  344;  of  Ceremonial  Church,  14; 
of  Evangelical  Alliance,  237;  of  Patri- 
archal Church,  9;  pi'operty  affected  by 
change  of,  335,  .336;  required,  106. 

Creeds,  of  associations  of  churches,  346, 
347;  of  churches,  347,  348;  of  ethnic 
religions,  9  J) ;  i)reserved  best  by  laity, 
350-352;  primitive  norm  of,  106;  tests  of 
membership,  347,  348,  3.54,  3,55. 

Credentials,  302;  contents  of,  304,  305;  de- 
fined, 304. 

Cromwell,  Oliver,  on  State,  Church,  and 
liberty,  90. 

Cross-examination,  2.52. 

Cyprian,  church  and  the  kingdom,  48; 
"election  of  church  officers,  172,  173; 
primacy  of  Peler,  122. 

Deacons,  178-181;  authority  of,  what,  180; 
iluties  of,  178,  179;  election  of,  115,  178; 
laymen,  17!t,  226;  ordination  of,  180; 
origin  of  the  oflire  of,  178;  (lualifica- 
tions  of,  179,  180;  removal  of,  180;  rota- 
tion in  oflic*  of,  180,  181. 

Deaconesses,  179,  180. 

Dead-lock  between  church  and  society, 
330-3.32,  360. 

Decrees,  church,  a  standard  of  faith,  99. 

Dedham  decision,  331,  332. 

Delegates  of  primitive  churches,  115,  116; 
of  Congregational  churches,  303. 

Deposition  from  the  ministrv,  176,  287, 
288;  bv  associations,  283,  284,  288,  289; 
bv  councils,  284,  287,  288;  papal  and 
p"relatical,  287,  288;  under  the  pastoral 
theory,  287;  revokes  ordination,  288. 


380 


INDEX. 


Dc  Quincy,  342. 

Development,  Biblical  versus  Vedic,  9  n  ; 
Cougregational  and  ecclesiastical,  130; 
dispensations  and,  30,  31 ;  normal,  of 
the  kingdom,  43-45;  religion  not  a  mere, 
131;  rigliteousness  and,  109. 

Dexter,  Dr.  Henry  M.,  21,  1.57,  175, 2.'jl, 
261,276,282,307. 

Diat'onate,  origin  of  the,  178. 

Disciples,  baptism  ami  Christ's,  32,  33. 

Discipline,  22!)-263;  associational,  163, 
1(>4;  antliority  of,  limited,  235;  whence 
derived,  234;'where  deposited,  233,  234; 
baptized  children  under  what,  235; 
church  officers  subject  to,  235,  261 ;  com- 
plaint in,  246,  247;  defects  in,  when  of 
little  weight,  232;  discretion  needed  in, 
2.38-240;  drift  in,  232;  ends  of  church, 
240,  241,244;  evidence  in,  250-252;  evils 
of,  restricted  in  Congregationalism,  357 ; 
excommunication  in,  243,  254;  final 
when,  113;  first  step  in,  when  to  be 
taken,  244,  245;  general  and  special, 
230,  231;  irregularities  in,  2.56,  2.57;  let- 
ters of  dismissal  and,  2-15,  246;  jury  in, 
249,250;  means  of  grace,  240;  meetings 
of  a  church  and,  231 ;  ministerial,  by 
associations  endorsed,  161,  162;  ministe- 
rial, twofold,  177,  235;  mistakes  In,  rend 
churches,  233;  ofl'ences  demanding, 
23.5-238;  parties  protected  in,  2.55,  250; 
pastor's  province  in,  248,  261 ;  polity 
cietermiues  mode  of,  231,  232;  polity 
ju<lged  by,  232;  principle  governing 
ministerial,  154,  175,  176,  235,  213,  261, 
262;  proxv  used  in,  when,  246;  puritv 
through,  238-241 ;  ratified  in  heaven,  113 ; 
redress  of  grievance  in,  262,  263;  regu- 
lated how  by  the  State,  334,  335;  rigor 
of  early,  106;  rule  of,  111-113;  rules 
needed,"230;  steps  in,  241,  247;  study  of, 
demanded,  232,  233;  subjects  of,  235; 
supreme  when,  113, 114 ;  temperanceand, 
230,240;  testimony  in,  to  be  preserved, 
24s;  uniformity  in,  desirable,  229; 
varies  with  circumstances,  239,  240; 
voters  in,  2.57-259;  witnesses  in,  247. 

Discretion  in  discipline,  238-240;  in  doc- 
trine and  polity,  370-372. 

Dispensations,  Ceremonial  and  Christian, 
confounded,  18,  49;  bound  together,  16, 
31;  preparatory,  sifted  for  the  final,  19, 
20,  31,  32,  111,  114  (see  lahal). 

Divisions  caused  by  force,  76,  358,  359. 

Doctrinal,  basis  of  the  National  Council, 
34t;,  347;  of  state  associations,  346,  347; 
reforms  and  polity,  2,  3,  18,  3.58,  359. 

Doctrine,  meaning  "of  the  term,  43,  98;  of 
the  Christian  Church,  3,  43,  98;  one  and 
not  many,  43-45. 

Doctrines,  the  great  working,  316,  351, 
352,  365. 

Donatists,  49,  325. 

Dropping  church  members,  when,  259, 
260. 

Duo  parte,  councils  what,  275. 

.Bcc/es /a,  36,  37,  112,  120,  121,  127,  128,  166; 
winnowed  from  the  kalial  of  Israel,  32, 
111,  114,  136,  208;  used  for  kahnU  167. 

Ecclesiastical  iufallibilitv,  26;  rational- 
Ism,  128,  129. 

Ecclesiastical  societv,  328-332;  usurpa- 
tion of,  231,330,  331." 


Ecumenical  Association,  82 ;  rightly  bal- 
ances libertv  and  unity,  88,  "367,  368; 
needed,  38,  82,311. 

Elders  (Presbyters),  70,  71,  145;  a(;counta- 
bility  of,  dual,  176,  177;  appointed  or 
chosen,  116,  172,  173;  church  officers 
when,  172;  duties  of,  173,  174;  member- 
ship ot,  dual,  174,  175;  plurality  of ,  in 
primitive  churches,  70,  71,  169,  170,  173; 
presiding  officers,  175;  removed  by 
Corinthian  church,  176;  synagogues 
elected  elders,  117, 118. 

Efficiency,  church,  of  Baptists,  359,  362; 
of  Congregationalists  359-363;  objects 
of  true,  363;  unites  wisdom  and  re- 
soui'ces,  363. 

Election  of  an  apostle,  114,  115;  of  dea- 
cons, 115;  of  delegates,  115,  116;  elders, 
116;  primitive  churches  and  the,  of 
officers,  114-116, 172, 173;  removed  from 
office,  176. 

Emmons,  dictum  of  Dr.  Nathaniel,  86. 

H'ncyclopaMlia  Britauni(!a,  democracy  and 
autonomy  of  the  primitive  cluirches, 
127,  142;  hearsay  evidence,  251,  252; 
identity  of  elders," pastors,  and  bishops, 
146;  infallibility  of  Greek  Church,  52; 
invisible  and  visible  church,  4;  prior- 
ity of  Greek  Church,  47;  rise  of  Epis- 
copacy, 61,  63,65;  trailition  in  Anglican 
Church,  66. 

English  Congregational  societies,  318, 
319. 

Environment,  51,  239,  267,  368,  369. 

Episcopal,  convocations,  64;  jurisdiction, 
64;  orders  in  the  ministry,  64. 

Episcopacy,  59-69,  123-125;  aggressive 
and  exclusive,  68 ;  constitutive  principle 
of,  62,  63 ;  development  of,  64,  (io ;  forms 
of,  6.5-67;  older  than  the  Papacy,  59; 
origin  of,  59-62;  proof  of,  63,  64;  re- 
formable,  68;  undeveloped,  59,  68,  69; 
unifying  principle  of,  40. 

Episcopate,  churches  not  subject  to  an, 
123-125. 

Eucharist,  the,  early  communicants  in, 
107,  108,  220,  221 ;  not  a  sacrifice,  54, 133, 
134. 

Europe,  progress  of  liberty  in,  89,  90, 
373. 

Evangelical  churches  and  comity.  338-340. 

Evangelical  Alliance,  creed  of,  237. 

"  Evangelists,"  144,  14.5. 

Evangelization,  cooperation  of  churches 
in,  314-317. 

Evidence,  a<lniissibility  of,  2.50-2.52;  hear- 
say, 251,  252. 

Evolution,  ecclesiastical,  11,  31-33,  94-96. 

Examination,  of  ministers,  353;  value  of 
cross-,  2.52. 

Excommunicate,  how  to  restore  an,  254, 
255. 

E.xcommunication,  243,  254;  final,  243; 
of  ministers,  286,  287;  redress  in,  202, 
263;  synagogue,  1('2. 

Kx parte  councils,  276. 

Expidsion  from  associations  and  stand- 
ing, 163,  164,  283,  301-304. 

Extreme  unction,  so-called  sacrament  of, 
206. 

Faith,  standards  of,  in  Christendom,  98, 

99. 
Family   form   of    the    Church,    6-11;    at- 


INDEX. 


381 


tempted  return  to,  17;  lacked  fellow- 
ship, 11. 

Family,  the,  honored  In  all  dispensations, 
6,  15,  33. 

Fan,  Christ's  winnowing,  3-2, 109,  111,  114, 
136,  208. 

Feet-washing,  rite  of,  among  the  Men- 
nonites,  205,  206. 

Fellowship  of  cliurches,  38,  39,  264-267; 
basis  of,  108,264;  channel  of  blessings, 
36,  37,  266,  267;  councils  inadequate  to 
express,  HI,  274;  delinitioii  of,  264;  de- 
void of  iiuthority,  2<;(;,  2(!7,  364;  essen- 
tial, 87,  38,  265;  e\hil)ited  on  four  prin- 
ciples, 40,265;  expressed  in  Congrega- 
tionalism, 81-S3,  358,  359;  impossible 
where,  340,  341 ;  liberty  in,  366,  267;  lim- 
itation of,  :i3S-;?41;  methods  of,  267; 
peculiar  to  no  polity,  tiO,  81,  265,  266; 
prime  factors  in,  39;  unites  all  believ- 
ers, 38;  unity  souglit  in,  40;  vehicle  of 
oppression,  266;  vl>ibK',  rci|uired,  265; 
withholding,  from  ministers,  155. 

Felt,  .7.  B.,  Eccl.  Hist.,  quoted,  153,  150, 
1.57,  297. 

Fiction,  papal,  of  imprisonment,  58. 

Fisher,  Prof.  Geo.  P.,  d.d.,  on  good  done 
by  the  Papacy,  95;  on  Lord's  Supper, 
218. 

Force,  ecclesiastical,  divisive,  76,  266, 
267,  358,  359,  364. 

Foreign  missions,  cooperation  in,  314, 
323;  when  begun,  322. 

Form  essential  to  organic  life,  2,  30,  371. 

Francis  I.,  Calvin  wrote  his  Institutes 
for,  18. 

Froude,  J.  A.,  on  the  Puritans,  89. 

Future,  the,  belongs  to  the  primitive  pol- 
ity, 130,  372-375. 

General  Assembly,  74;  powers  of,  74; 
churches  not  subjected  to  a,  125,  126. 

Geueral  Councils,  State  gave  authority 
to,  64,  325, 337 ;  Congregational,  307. 

Geueial  Court  of  Massacluisetts,  an  ec- 
clesiastical body,  296,  297. 

General  Courts  of  New  Kngland,  ecclesi- 
astical, 1.56;  relation  to  councils,  269- 
271. 

Gladstone,  flon.  Wm.  E.,  the  Papacy,  58. 

Gospel  of  the  kingdom,  23;  an  anomaly, 
369. 

Greek  Church,  65,  66;  older  than  the 
papal,  47,  .59;  standard  of  faith,  99. 

Guanls  of  purity  complete  in  Congrega- 
tionalism, 344-355. 

Hanbury's  Memorials,  21, 181,  268,  298, 327. 

Harris,  Prof.  George,  D.D.,  unit  of  soci- 
ety, 6. 

Harris,  Prof,  .<^amuel,  i>.i>.,  delinitioii  of 
the  Church,  5. 

Harvey,  Prof.  H.,  n.r>.,  onlination  bv 
ministers,  1.52;  relation  of  polity  to  her- 
esy, 2,  3. 

Hatch,  Vice-Prin.  E<hvin,  equalitv  within 
churches,  172;  identity  of  elilers  and 
bishops,  61;  independence  of  local 
churches,  127;  ordination,  151, 1.52;  pol- 
ity of  the  future,  W,  273,  372,  375. 

Heails  of  Agreement,  340. 

Hearsay  evidence,  251,  252. 

Heresie"s,  early,  began  in  changes  of  pol- 
ity, 2,  3. 


Heresy,  disciplinable,  237;    liberty    hin- 
ders, 350,  351;  ways  of   dealing  with, 
3.5:^,  S.W. 
High  Priest,  Christ  the  Christian's,  132, 
,       133. 

,    llitclicock.  Prof.  R.  I).,  u.d.,  183,  184, 185. 
I    Homburg,  synod  of,  91. 
I    Home  Missions,  cooperation  in,  314. 
Hooker,  Richard,  185. 
Iliinie,  the  Puritans,  89. 
Hutchinson,   early     use   of    councils  in 
Massachusetts,  327,  328. 
I    Hutchinson's   Hist.  Mass.  on    duties  of 
I       ruling  elders,  181,  182;  ordination,  1.53; 
polity  derived   from   Pilgrim   Church, 
227,  228;  strength  of  churches  in  civil 
power.  327,  328. 

Ignatius,  48,  60,  71,  126,  180. 

Iinj)risoiiment,  papal  fiction  of,  58. 

Inalienable  rignt  of  churches  in  any 
locality,  1.58,  160,  163,  1(^,  285,  286,  299; 
expressed  in  associations,  285,  286;  im- 
perfe(;tly  guarded  in  councils,  2!m,  300; 
should  be  respected,  303,  304;  when  in-. 
fringed  iipoii,2!)9,  300. 

Inauiruratidii  of  pastors,  177,  178. 

Incorpination  of  rliiirches,  330,  331. 

Indelible  cliaracter  and  ordination,  136, 
151,  1,52. 

Independence  of  local  churches,  80,  110- 
119;  arises  from  unity,  110,  111;  con- 
ceded, 126-128;  hated,  340;  proof  of,  110; 
by  the  rule  of  discijdine,  111-114;  by 
the  election  of  otH<ers,  114-116;  by  their 
relation  one  to  another,  116, 117;  by  their 
relation  to  the  synagogues,  117,  118;  by 
statements  of  the  Apostolic  Fathers, 
118,119. 

Independent  churches,  guards  of  purity 
in,  34.5-355;  modeled  after  clubs  and 
svnagogues,  34-;56,  38,  198,  199;  power 
of,  300;  property  of,  335,  3.36;  subject 
to  no  centralized  authoritv,  119-126, 
whether  Pope,  121-123,  or  lipiscopate, 
123-125,  or  General  Assembly,  125,126; 
this  point  conceded,  126-1.30. 

ln<U'pi'nd('nts,  Congregationalists  in  Eng- 
land calUMUa'}. 

Individuals  not  factors  in  common  labors, 
126,  32.',  323. 

Indulgences,  54. 

Inecjuality  in  representation,  dangerous, 
298,  299. 

Infallibility,  papal,  26;  dogma  of,  51,. 52; 
when  decreed,  -52,  .53;  of  the  Greek 
Church,  .52;  of  tlie  kingdom  of  lu'aven, 
26 ;  of  the  Popes,  .51,  .52 ;  ec<-ltsiastical,  26. 

Infallible  Primacy,  active  and  passive, 
.53;  constitutive  principle  of  the  Roman 
Cliurch,  .52;  churches  not  subject  to,  121- 
123. 

Infant  baptism,  108,  211-210,  Congrega- 
tionalists and,  215;  reforme<l  churches 
anil,  214;  when  corrupts  a  church,  214. 

Infant  <lainnation,  227. 

Injustice  in  censures,  remedied,  200,  262, 
270. 

Inner  I>ii,'lit,  standard  of  faith,  99. 

Installation,  290;  decadence  of,  160,  291; 
elements  in,  290;  ina<lequate  guards, 
100,  2Stn-2tt2;  unessential  to  the  pasto- 
rate, 177,  178;  urgency  of  its  advocates, 
291. 


382 


IXDEX. 


Intemperance  and  church  rtiscipline,  239, 

Invisible  thurc.h  or  visible,  Christendom 
divided  over,  4. 

Invitation  to  the  Eucharist.  '2-24,  225. 

Ireland,  Presbyterian  churches  in,  expur- 
gated heresy,  S.'iO,  'i^\. 

Irenajus  confountled  church  and  king- 
dom, 48. 

Irregularities  in  procedure,  25G,  257,  276. 

Isolation  of  churches,  abnormal,  38-40, 
264,  265. 

Jeroboam,  how  caused  Israel  to  sin,  13, 14. 

Jerusalem,  council  at,  124, 139. 

Jewish  Christians  and  independent  syna- 
gogues, 118. 

Johnson's  "  Wonder  Working  Provi- 
dence," 358,  359,  373. 

Jurisdiction,  ecclesiastical  courts  deter- 
mine their  own,  278;  lawful,  in  Episco- 
pacy, 64. 

Jury  trial  of  oflences,  demanded  in 
churches,  249,  2.50,  357. 

Justin,  Martyr,  lu7, 108,  221. 

Kahal,  or  "  congregation  of  Israel,"  12, 
32, 100,  111,  114,  115,  119,  120,  121,  128,  136, 
167;  became  the  Christian  ecclesia  or 
Church,  111,  112,  114,  115,  120,  121,  128, 
167,  208;  oneness  of  the,  119,  120;  reUu- 
quished  authority  in  becoming  Chris- 
tian, 128. 

Keys  of  the  kingdom,  where  deposited, 
113, 114. 

Kingdom  of  heaven,  the,  22-30;  appears 
chiefly  in  churches,  36;  characteristics 
of,  24-28;  Christward  side  of  the 
Church,  103;  conditions  of  admission 
to,  28;  confounded  with  the  church,  28, 
29;  Cougregatioualists  and,  21m;  con- 
stantly coming,  30;  contrasted  with 
Ceremonial  Law,  33;  also  with  previ- 
ous disjtensations,  23,  24 ;  delined,  24, 
27,28;  distinguished  from  the  Church, 
28,  29,  103,  166,  emerges  in  local 
churches,  42,  43;  equality  in,  27;  estab- 
lished already,  22-24;  everlasting,  27; 
evolved  from  preceding  dispensations, 
30,  31;  foundation  of  the  Christian 
Church,  21;  gives  place  to  "church," 
and  "churches,"  42,  43;  gospel  of,  23; 
holiness  of,  2.5;  indivisible,  2.i;  infalli- 
ble, 26;  invisible,  25,  26;  loyalty  to 
Christ  in,  24,  25;  manifested  in  organic 
forms,  30,  36,  38;  materials  of,  31,  32, 
102;  misunderstood  l)y  the  Jews,  31; 
reign  of  Christ  in,  24;  notes  of,  24-28; 
partly  on  earth  and  partly  in  heaven, 
29;  peculiar,  27,  28;  preached,  23;  pre- 
dictetl,  22, 23;  separated  from  the  State, 
120, 121,  324,  325,  332 ;  subjects  equal,  27 ; 
synagogue  worship  ai)propriated  by, 
35,36;  term,  liow  used  by  the  apostles, 
42,  43;  unity  of,  2.5,  38;  universal,  27; 
writers  on  Congregationalism  neglect, 
21  n. 

Ladd,  Prof.  G.  T.,  d.d.,  doctrine  and 
polity,  3;  democracy  to  the  front,  374; 
examination  for  ordination,  353;  mis- 
taken policy,  352;  provincialism  sui- 
cidal, 361. 

Laity,  custodians  of    faith   and    polity. 


3,tO-353;  distinguished  from  the  minis- 
trv,  134-136;  saved  Congregationalism 
in  the  West,  3.52,  353,  361. 

Laud,  Archbishop,  the  Puritans,  90. 

Lawrence,  Judge  Wm.,  alienation  of 
church  property,  335,  336. 

Lawyers  in  ecclesiastical  trials,  -2.52-2.54; 
rules  respecting,  253. 

Lay  Eldership,  Presbyterian,  181-185; 
duties  of,  181,  182;  unscriptural,  182, 
183;  being  rejected  by  Presbyterians, 
183,184;  Presbyterianism  then  reduced 
to  a  clerical  despotism,  184. 

Leadership,  personal,  escaped,  365. 

Legal,  counsel  in  trials,  252-254;  elements 
in  installation,  290;  obstacles  to  church 
cooperation,  319,  320;  relations  of 
churches,  32.3-337 ;  rules  of  evidence  and 
ecclesiastical  trials,  251,  252. 

Legislation,  all  ecclesiastical,  vests  In 
Christ,  24,  25. 

Letters,  of  dismission  and  discipline,  245, 
246;  missive,  272. 

Liberty,  associations  and,  82,  266,  267; 
called  "  the  insanity,"  54,  88;  Cousocia- 
tionism  and,  366,  367;  endangered  by 
personal  leaders,  365;  politv  and,  18, 
19,  82,  88-93;  progress  of,  88-93,  373; 
Puritans  and,  88-90;  relation  of,  to 
unity,  266,  267,  367;  union  of  Church 
and  State  destroys,  296,  330-332;  unity 
and,  balanced,  295,  296,  367,  368. 

Licentiates,  226. 

Life  manifests  itself  in  organisms,  2,  30, 
371. 

Lines,  narrow,  separate  polities,  41;  also 
visible  from  invisible  Church,  4. 

Liturgies,  early,  201 ;  independent  of  pol- 
ity, 204;  New  Testament  and,  197-203; 
sermon  fersns,  202;  value  of,  202-204. 

Local  churches,  powers  of,  80,  81,  111-119, 
312,  322,  323. 

Lord's  Supper,  the,  216-228;  administered 
by  whom,  22.5-228;  both  kinds  in,  218; 
communicants,  218-224;  conditions  of 
partaking,  218,219;  must  be  Scriptural, 
222-224;  enforced  by  local  churches,  224, 
225;  Boston  Platform  and,  222;  disci- 
pline and,  221,  222;  elements  used  in, 
217,  218;  invitation  to,  224;  not  con- 
trolled by  the  pastor,  225;  Judas  Is- 
cariot  and,  220;  meaning  of,  217;  mode 
of,  218;  names  of,  217;  primitive 
churches  and,  220,  221 ;  repeated  often, 
217;  supersedes  the  passover,  14,  217, 
220;  unrestricted  admission  to,  fatal, 
222   224. 

Lord''s  Table,  like  the  Church,  224. 

Lutherans,  Congregational  in  polity,  83; 
standard  of  faith,  99. 

Luther's,  Martin,  idea  of  the  Church, 
326. 

Macaulay,    Lord,    the    Papacy,   46;    the 

Puritans,  89. 
Mackenzie,  progress  of  liberty  in  Europe, 

89,90,373,374. 
Majority,    discipline    by,    in    primitive 

churches,  112, 113 ;  what  such  a  vote  is, 

259. 
Marriage,  so-called  sacrament  of,  205. 
Mass,  held  to  be  a  literal  sacrifice,  54, 133, 

134,  227. 
Massachusetts   Colony,   called   councils, 


INDEX. 


383 


270,  271 ;  ordination  and  preaching  and, 
156;  regulated  the  churches,  156,  327, 
328. 

Materials,  of  a  church,  what,  100;  of  the 
Ceremonial  Church,  100,  101 ;  of  the 
Christian  Church,  103,  104;  of  churches, 
104-lOS;  of  the  Icingdom  of  lieaven,  102, 
103;  of  tlie  Patriarchal  Cliurch,  100;  of 
synagogues,  101,  102;  unity  of,  in  all 
dispensations,  109. 

Matthew  16:  IS,  19,  interpretations  of, 
122,  123. 

Matthias,  how  chosen  an  apostle,  114, 
115,  139,  141. 

Mediators,  priests  are,  132. 

Members  of  diurches,  on  dropping,  259, 
260;  eciualitv  of,  171,  172;  tested  by 
what,  104-108,  222,  347,  348. 

Messengers  of  the  primitive  churches, 
11.5,  116. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the,  polity 
of,  changing,  76,  77;  Preslivtcrian,  es- 
.-sentially,  76;  property  an(l  pulpit  of, 
336;  rejecteil  by  Kpiscopacy,  65. 

Methodists,  standard  of  faith,  99. 

Metropolitan  l)ishops,  61. 

Micliigan,  general  association  of,  defines 
ininisttTial  standing,  1.56;  constitution 
of,  and  ndnisterial  stamling,  305. 

Milman,  Dean,  on  primitive  churches, 
126. 

Ministerial  accountability,  154,  1.55,  284- 
287. 

Rlinisterial  associations,  292-295,  365;  lib- 
erty and,  295,  ;i65,  366;  objects  of,  293; 
origin  of,  292,  293;  standing  In,  293,  294; 
tempi irary  in  nature,  2iM,  295. 

Ministerial  nuMnbcrship  and  pastoral 
representation,  302,  303;  where  held, 
174,  175. 

Ministerial  discipline,  177,  235,  2S4-2SS. 

Ministerial  staniling,  154-165;  aNSOciations 
of  churches  and,  1.58,  160,  161,  282,  286; 
definetl,155, 1.5(i;  in  England, 305;  minis- 
terial associations  and,  159,  294;  Nation- 
al Council  on,  161,162;  New  England 
and,  157;  redress  when,  is  impaired,  163, 
164,282,  283;  reijuired  to  be  held  some- 
where, 155,  163-165;  single  and  unasso- 
ciated  churches  can  not  hold,  157,  158, 
1.59. 

Ministerial  training,  314. 

Ministers,  guides,  191,  192;  membership 
of,  dual,  174,  175;  responsibility  of, 
dual,  175-177;  removal  of,  190. 

Ministry  of  the  Woril,  the,  131-149;  called 
of  God,  131,  132,  1.35;  as  custodians  of 
doctrine  and  polity,  3,50-353;  distin- 
guished from  the  laity,  1.36;  function  of, 
132,  i:i3,  134-136,  190;  independent  of 
the  churches,  136,  137;  not  exclusive, 
135;  not  an  ofli(;ial  relation,  131,  137; 
not  a  priesthood,  132-134  ;  ordina- 
tion of,  149-1.54;  parity  of,  137;  pastoral 
theory  of,  131 ;  permanent,  1:58,  I4:i-147; 
perpetual,  149,150;  precedes  churches, 
131,  136;  i)relatlcal,  un scriptural,  137; 
preparation  for,  148;  <|ualilicati(>ns  of, 
147-149;  restrictions  of,  in  New  Eng- 
land  colonies,  166;  temporary,  138-143. 

Minors  not  voters,  2.57,  2.58. 

Mistakes,  discipline  and,  233;  when  vital, 
257. 

Mitchell,  Rev.  John,  membership  of  min- 


isters, 174 ;  standing  In  ministerial  asso- 
ciations, 2!M. 

Moderatism  in  Scotland,  349,  351,  354. 

Moffat,  Prof.  J.  C,  u.v.,  primitive  n»- 
ligions,  9,  10. 

Moravian  (Church,  07. 

Morris  Prof.  E.  I).,  d.d.  Apostolic  suc- 
cession, 142;  proof  of  Presbyterianism, 
75;  lay  eldership,  183;  primitive  type, 
368,  369,  370. 

Moshcira,  primitive  churches,  126;  wor- 
ship after  conversion  of  Constantine, 
201. 

Miiller,  Prof.  Max,  relation  of  religion 
to  history,  2. 

Mutual  councils,  275,  276,  283,  304. 

Nation,  The  (New  York),  political  creeds, 
344. 

National  Church,  intolerable,  15,  16;  re- 
turn to,  perversive,  18. 

National  Council,  doctrinal  basis,  .346, 
347;  origin  of,  306-311;  recognizes  min- 
isterial standing,  161,  162,  305;  stated 
body,  309,  310. 

Neander,  parity  of  church  members,  172; 
visible  and  invisible  Church,  49;  Nova- 
tian,  238. 

New  England,  Church  and  State  united 
in,  327,  328;  effect  on  Congregational- 
ism, 332 ;  peculiar,  328. 

Noah  renews  a  godly  seed,  7. 

"  No  bishop,  no  king,"  88,  89,  374. 

Notice  in  cases  of  discipline,  247. 

Oath  for  witnesses,  24S  n. 

Objections,  force  of,  35.5-357;  tests,  356, 
3.57. 

Offences,  disciplinable,  235-238;  scandal- 
ous, 237,  238,  244,  249. 

Officers,  church,  authority  of,  190-193; 
no  veto  power,  190, 191 ;  removal  of,  190. 

Offices,  distribution  of,  among  members, 
192,  193. 

Ohio  (iener.'ii  Asso<;iation  and  National 
Council,  309. 

Orders,  the  so-called  sacrament  of,  205. 

Ordination,  149-1.54;  Ceremonial,  132; 
Christian,  137,  1.50;  authority  conferred 
by,  1.53,  154;  deposition  and,  176,  289; 
ecclesiastical  recognition  in,  152,  153; 
Episcopal,  64;  modes  of,  151;  per- 
formed by  associations  of  churches, 
288,  289,  306;  by  churches,  152;  by  coun- 
cils, 273;  relations  wtused  by,  1.54,  155; 
Scriptural,  1.50,  151. 

Original,  the,  polity,  the  final  polity,  96, 
372-.i75. 

"  Out  of  the  church  there  is  no  salvation," 
48,  49, 171. 

I'alfrey,  churches  as  towns,  91. 

I'an  Anglican  Conferences  abnormal,  68. 

Papacy,  the,  46-59;  an  absolute  mon- 
archy, .54;  absorbed  the  F^v^'^^'opatc,  .59; 
Augustine  nnglit  have  strangled,  49; 
clerical  government  wholly,  54,  55;  con- 
stitutive i>rinciple  of,  .52;  good  fruits 
of,  95;  Irreformable,  56;  hberty  denied 
by,  53,  54,  57;  temporal  power  must  be 
recovered,  57,  .58;  visible  and  invisible 
Church  confused  In,  49,  50. 

Papal  infallibility,  51,  52;  when  located, 
53. 


384 


INDEX. 


Papal  theory  of  the  Church,  51 ;  alterna- 
tive of  victory  or  death,  56,  57";  cleav- 
age fatal  to,  56;  comprehension  of,  5ii; 
development  of,  53,  54;  environment  of, 
51;  grandeur  of,  46;  irreformable,  56; 
matured  when,  52;  origin  of,  47-50; 
power  of,  56;  primacy  in,  50,  52;  un- 
assailable by  ai'gument,  56 ;  vitality  of, 
56. 

Parliamentary  rules,  binding,  191;  coun- 
cils and,  278;  pastors  and,  230. 

Parish  system,  328-332;  churches  in 
bondage  to,  330-332 ;  church  property 
and,  330;  efficiency  hindered  by  360; 
influence  on  faith,  349;  legal  existence 
of  churches  in,  331,  332;  origii,  of,  328- 
330;  strifes  and  remedies  under,  329, 
330;  unscriptural,  332;  voters  in,  329- 
331. 

Parity  in  the  laity,  171,  172;  in  the  min- 
istry, 137. 

Passover,  Jewish,  14;  communicants  at, 
220. 

Pastoral  representation,  303. 

Pastoral  theory  of  the  ministry,  131. 

Pastorate,  the,  essential  eh'ments  of,  177, 
178;  National  Council  and,  161, 162. 

Pastors,  145,  146;  churches  may  ordain 
their  own,  153,  177;  councils  "unneces- 
sary to  constitute,  177,  178;  discipline 
of,  159,  261-263;  impartiality  required 
in,  261;  more  than  cnurch  officers,  177; 
presiding  officers,  175,  230,  248,  261; 
should  not  attend  certain  church  meet- 
ings, 175,  230;  when  representatives  of 
churches,  303. 

Patriarchal  Dispensation,  6-11;  creed  of, 
8,  9;  degeneracy  of  piety  under.  7,  9, 
10;  divisive,  9:  initiatory  rite  intro- 
duced into,  8;  purity  of,  10;  worship 
of,  8. 

Patriarchal  theory  of  society,  6. 

Penance,  so-called  sacrament  of,  205. 

Pentecost,  Christian  Church  inaugurated 
on.  Ill ;  converts  at,  169. 

People,  best  guardians  of  faith  and  pol- 
ity, 350-353. 

Permanent  ministry,  143-149;  lists  of, 
144;  names  of,  144. 

Peter,  St.,  called  to  account,  114,  176; 
primacy  of,  121-123. 

Phelps,  Prof.  Austin,  d.d.,  necessity  of 
creeds,  344. 

"Pilgrim  convention"  of  1870,  and  the 
National  Council,  308. 

"  Plan  of  the  Apostles,  the,"  128,  130,  340, 
363,  369,  372. 

Plan  of  Union,  352,  360,  361. 

Plurality  of  elders  in  churches,  70,  71, 
169,  170, 173. 

Political  elements  in  the  Ceremonial 
Law,  128. 

Polities,  ecumenical,  87,  88;  exclusive, 
85-87;  origin  honorable,  39-41;  simple, 
four,  40,  S4,  85;  union  labors  and,  93, 
94,  3;?9,  362;  utility  of,  94-9<i. 

Polity,  cliurch  activities  determined  by, 
93,  94;  covers  the  revelation  of  redemp- 
tion,! ;  development  in,  94,  95;  notdiscre- 
tionary,  370-372;  essential,  371;  involved 
in  every  church  act,  5*4;  liberty  and, 
18, 19,  88-93;  not  deUdled  in  New  TesU- 
ment,  44,  45;  obedience  to,  required, 
372;   principles  of  the   true,  revealed. 


43-45, 129,  372;  relation  of,  to  civil  gov- 
ernment, 18,  19,  88-93;  study  of,  needed, 
1,  2,  3, 18-20;  theology  molded  by,  2,  3. 
,50. 

Polycarp,71, 118,  126, 180. 

Prayer,  Book  of  Common,  conflicting 
elements  in ,  66. 

Preaching,  open  to  laymen,  13.5;  right  of, 
found  in  Christ's  call,  137. 

Prelate,  137. 

Presbyterian  Alliance  abnormal,  74,  75. 

Presbyterian  Churches,  number  of,  76. 

Presbyterian  Puritans,  90,  326. 

Presbyterian,  theory  of  the  Church,  70- 
79. 

Presbyterianism,  70-79;  adjusted  easily 
to  new  light,  129, 130;  constitutive  prin- 
ciple of,  72;  abandoned  where,  74,  75; 
development  of,  into  sessions,  72;  pres- 
byteries. 73,  synods,  73;  general  as- 
semblies, 74;  and  the  Presbyterian 
Alliance,  74;  infallibiUty  not  claimed 
by,  78;  lay  eldership  not  essential  to, 
77,78;  not  republican,  91-93;  originated 
in  a  wrong  interpretation,  71,  183,  184; 
principle  of  unity  in,  40,  72;  proof 
alleged  for,  75,  76;  reformable,  78; 
representatives  may  be  laymen,  72; 
yielding  to  the  light,"  74,  78, 129, 130. 

Preslivterians  favoreii  a  national  church, 
90;  standard  of  faith,  74,  99. 

Presbyteries,  73;  p<nvers  of,  73. 

Presbytery  in  particular  churches,  60,  70, 
71,  76,  125,  173,  185. 

Proselytes,  102. 

Priesthood,  the  Aaronic,  13,  132;  Christ's, 
132,133;  Cliristian  ministry  not  a,  132- 
134;  Patriarchal,  8;  Roman  Catholic, 
134, 135;  Greek  Church,  134. 

Priests,  what,  132;  ministers  not,  132-134. 

Primacy,  infallible,  52. 

Primacy  of  St.  Peter,  50,  51,  122, 123. 

Primitive  churches,  discipline  of,  232; 
worship  of,  199-2(il. 

Primitive  religions,  10. 

I'rincivile,  domination  of,  in  polity,  40,  45, 
46, 128. 

Private  judgment,  corner-stone  of  liberty, 
18,  337,  338. 

Proof,  liberty  of,  in  ecclesiastical  trials, 
251. 

Property,  church,  regulated  by  civil  law, 
333;  alienation  of,  3:i5-337. 

Prophets,  New  Testament,  142,  143;  Old 
Testament,  13,  14, 142;  priests  of  Israel 
not,  13;  school  of  the,  14. 

Protestant  P^piscojial  Church,  67. 

Proxy,  discipline  by,  when,  246. 

Public  discipline  not  necessary,  249,  250, 
357. 

Purgatory,  papal,  .54. 

Puritan  Reformation,  a  theory  of  the 
Church,  320,  327. 

PuriUms,  Congregational  and  Presbyte- 
i-ian,  90,  326;  influence  in  civil  govern- 
ments, 18,  19,88-91. 

Purity,  inability  to  attain,  no  objection, 
108;  ministerial,  tested  by  examina- 
tions, 353;  Patriarchal  Dispensation  did 
not  favor,  10. 

Quakers,  ministry  rejected  by,  134;  sacra- 
ments and,  206,  207;  standard  of  faith, 
99. 


INDEX. 


385 


Queen  Elizabeth,  tuning  pulpits,  327. 
Quorum  in  councils,  '273. 

Rationalism,  ecclesiastical,  VIS,  129,  185. 

Reason,  a  standard  of  faith  with  whom, 
99. 

Reciprocal  relation  of  polity  and  life,  2, 
30. 

Recognition,  councils  of,  290. 

Records,  cliurch,  IN).  1S7;  of  trials,  248. 

Redress  of  f,'ricv;uiccs,  2<i2,  263. 

Reformation,  tlie  great,  effect  on  worship, 
201,202;  jiartial  return  to  primitive  pol- 
itj',  320,  327;  8i)rung  from  a  theory  of 
the  Churcli,  3,  18,  19. 

Reformed  Episcopal  Church,  07. 

Reformers  depended  on  the  State,  320, 
327. 

Reforms,  religions,  saved  by  ecclesiasti- 
cal. 18,  19,3.54. 

Relation  of  Church  and  State,  323-328; 
true,  332-330. 

Religion,  history  molded  by,  2;  moral- 
ity and  heathen,  342;  revealed,  requires 
a  called  ministry,  131 ;  Stale  may  tcai^h, 
when,  333,  ;i'?4;  studied  in  ortraiiic man- 
ifestations, 2,  38-40. 

Religions,  primitive,  one  in  origin,  9,  10. 

Religious  lil)frty  denied  by  the  Papacy, 
.57;  called  "  tlie  insanity,"  88. 

Representation  of  churches  equal,  why, 
298,  299;  pastoral,  302,  303. 

Republican,  tlie  polity  most,  91-93. 

Resolutions  of  National  Council  on  minis- 
terial standing,  LW,  101,  102,  28.1. 

Result  of  councils,  278,  279;  advisory, 
279;  divisible,  280;  validity  in  civil 
courts,  278,  279. 

Ritual,  Jewi.ih,  13,  14,  198,  199;  none  in 
New  Testament.  197;  value  of,  202-204. 

Robinson,  .John,  on  sealing  onlinances, 
227. 

"  Rock,"  meaning  of,  in  JMatt.  10:  18,  122, 
123. 

Roman  Catholic  Church,  4(>-.i9;  laity  have 
no  voice  in,  .'i4;  reform.ible  when,  .58, 
59;  standard  of  faith,  99;  visible  Church, 
4;  no  salvation  out  of  the,  29,  48. 

Rule  of  disc'ipline.  111,  22i>-2()3;  meaning 
of  "church"  in,  111-114;  steps  in,  241- 
243. 

Rulers,  in  churches,  140;  in  Israel,  how 
chosen,  13. 

Ruling  elders,  181-184;  duties  of,  181, 
182;  government  l)v,  72,  73,  184,  185; 
laymen  or  ministers",  181-183,  220. 

Ruling  eldership,  cliscrcdits  the  diaco- 
nate,  185;  lay,  being  rejected,  183,  184; 
theories  of,  181 ;  unessential,  72. 

Sabbath,  8,  15,  17,33.3:54. 

Sacraments,  the,  20.5-207;  administered 
by  whom,  22.5--228;  lavmen  may  admin- 
ister when,  22f;-228;  iiature  of,"20<),  207; 
number  of,  205;  Quaker  view  of,  20<), 
207;  validity  of,  220,  227. 

Sacrifices,  eucharistic  and  expiatorv,  7, 
8. 

Safeguards  of  puritv,  290-2if2,  305,  30(>, 
:i44-:i48;  complete,  .3r>4,  3.55. 

Saints,  line  of,  7;  separation  of,  under 
the  three  dispensations,  10,  11,  12,  15, 
104.  107,  l'^9. 

Salvation,  no,  out  of  the  Church,  29,  48. 


Savoy  Declaration,  345,  340. 

Say  brook  Platform,  297,  300,  300;  synod. 

Scandalous  offences,  237,  238,  244,  249. 

Scliair,  Philip,  i>.i).,  LL.i).,  elders  and 
l)isho|)s  the  same,  145,  174;  liturgy,  197, 
2()0;  mode  of  baptism,  210;  proselytes, 
102;  ruling  elders,  183;  separation  of 
believers  from  synagogues,  108;  svna- 
gogues  modes  of  churches,  :U,  35,' 118, 
135,  p.)8,  19i). 

Schism,  under  the  Papacy  the  greatest 
sin,  .54. 

Schools,  state,  the  State  may  teach  reli- 
gion in,  when,  3;i:i,  .3:54. 

Scott,  I'rof.  H.  M.,  primitive  churches, 
127,  128. 

Scriptures  supplemented,  .33,  99. 

Seceders  forfeit  all  rights,  .i'itj. 

Separation  of  Church  and  State  re- 
(juired,  :524,  325. 

Sermon,  place  of  the,  in  worship,  202. 

Session,  Presbyterian,  72;  powers  of,  72, 
73. 

Societies,  ecclesiastical  or  parishes  (see 
Parish),  328-3:52. 

Socinians,  standard  of  faith,  98,99. 

Spence,  Canon,  Apostolic  succession,  142. 

Standards  of  faith,  various,  98,  99. 

Standing,  expulsion  from,  103,  164,  280, 
289. 

Stanley,  Dean,  liturgv,  203;  modes  of  or- 
dination, 151;  prophets,  14;  relation  of 
the  Papal  to  the  Greek  Church,  47. 

State,  independent  of  the  Church,  332; 
not  irreligious,  3:^2;  regulates  worship, 
3.34;  and  property,  3:^3-3:^6. 

Stone,  Rev.  Samuel,  192,  193. 

Subjection,  no,  of  one  church  to  another, 
117;  or  to  others,  119-126. 

"Substance  of  doctrine,"  meaning  of. 
345  It. 

Sundav-school,  190,  312,  313;  superintend- 
ent of,  190;  Pilgrim  Church  and,  313. 

Sworil,  tlie  papal  Cliurch,  claim  use  of, 
57. 

Syllabus,  papal,  of  errors,  .51,  .57. 

Synagogue  discipline  and  Matt.  18:  15- 
18,  112. 

Synagogue  worship,  35,  198,  199;  con- 
duc^ted  by  laymen,  ;W,  K;  Congrega- 
tional, 35;  model  of  the  Christian  wor- 
shii>,  34-:56,  198,  199;  origin  of,  10,  :U; 
ritual  in,  198,  199,  20:J;  sanctioned  by 
Christ,  .35;  supplemented  the  Mosaic, 
10;  universal  in  form,  34-:i0. 

Synagogues,  developed  from  a  want,  10; 
elected  officers,  35;  independent,  35, 
117,  118,  120,  369;  Christians  separated 
from,  37,  107;  members  of,  101,  102; 
origin  of,  16,  .34;  rulers  of,  :i5;  spreail 
of,  34,  35. 

Synods,  early,  124;  authority  of,  125,268, 
:525;  Presbyterian,  73. 

Taxation,  (-hurch  property  and,  333. 
"Teachers,"  144;  layman' niav  be,  135. 
"Teaching    of    the    Twelve'  Apostles," 

the,  107,  124,  141,   142,   i43,   173,   176,  178, 

209,  217,220,  221,  313. 
Temporal  power  of  the  Pope,  57;    must 

be  recovered,  58. 
Tertullian,  122,  mi,  212,  226. 
Theories  of  the  Christian  Church.  40,  41; 


386 


INDEX. 


Congregational,  79;  Episcopal,  62; 
Papal,  51;  Presbyterian,  71,  72;  each 
ecumenical,  87,  88;  efforts  after  the 
true,  43-45;  influence  on  doctrine,  2,  3, 
50;  and  practice,  50;  mutually  exclu- 
sive, 85-87;  niunber  of  simple,  40,  45, 
84,  8.");  subtility  of,  calls  for  charity,  94, 
95;  working  out  the  truth,  94-96. 

Third  way,  the,  of  communion,  159. 

Thurston,  Rev.  R.  B.,  and  the  National 
Council,  308. 

1  Tim.  5 :  17  explained,  183,  184. 

Town  church  in  New  Egland,  91,328-330. 

Tradition,  a  standanl  of  faith,  99. 

Training,  cooperation  in  ministerial,  314. 

Treasurer,  church,  187-189;  permanent 
officer,  188 ;  qualifications  of,  188. 

Treasurer,  society  or  parish,  189. 

Trials,  ecclesiastical,  247-2.ib;  impartial- 
ity in,  248,  249;  limitation  of  associa- 
tional  members  in,  163;  result  how  de- 
termined, 248,  250. 

Tridentine  council,  121,  145;  abolished 
the  order  of  bishops,  58,  59,  86. 

Trinity  Church  catechism,  62,  63,  213  n. 

Troubles,  church,  advertising,  255;  force 
of,  355,  356 ;  restriction  of,  357. 

Unevangelical  bodies  and  comity,  338, 
340,  341. 

Union  churches,  87,  339;  trend  in,  339, 
340. 

Union,  committee  of,  in  New  England, 
307. 

Union  efforts  end  in  denominational  re- 
sults, 339,  362;  hinder  efficiency,  359, 
360. 

Union  of  Church  and  State,  Constantine 
and,  325,  326,  337;  hinders  efficiency, 
360;  introduced  force,  325;  peculiarity 
of,  in  New  England,  328. 

Union  societies  and  seceders,  336. 

Uni parte  councils,  275. 

Unitarian,  apostasy  in  Europe  and  New 
England,  348-350,  353,  354;  Arlington, 
church,  222;  stayed  in  Ireland,  350,  351. 

United  Colonies  of  new  England,  306. 

Unity  of  churches,  attempted,  40,  87,  88; 
CongregationaUsm  and,  266,  267,  357- 
359;  force  can  not  produce,  266,  267, 
358,  359,  364;  independency  rests  on, 
110,111;  plurality  can  not  express  the, 
43-45;  rightly  balanced  by  liberty,  367, 
368;  sought  by  all,  40.  110,  119. 

Unity  of  the  Ceremonial  Dispensation, 
15. 

Universe,  plan  of  the,  one,  not  many, 
43,44. 

Upham,  Prof.,  on  membership  of  minis- 
ters, 174;  on  presiding  pastors,  175. 


Usage,  force  of,  279,  280. 

Vatican  council,  52,  53,  .57,  58, 121. 

Veda,  religion  of  the,  9  n. 

Vermont,  supreme  court  of,  on  duties  of 

associations,  161;  on  ministerial  stand- 
ing, 155,  294. 
Veto,  no  power  of,  190, 191. 
Voluntary   societies,    315-317;    churches 

are  not,  171 ;  property  of,  336. 
Vote,  when  pastors  may  break  a  tie,  175; 

validity  of  a,  when'  majority  refrain 

from  voting,  259. 
Votes,    devoid   of    authority,    364,   365; 

in  early  synods,  125. 
Voters,     church,    2.57-259;      disqualified 

when,  2.59;  minors  not,  257,  258;  rule 

defining,  needed,  257. 
Voters  in  New  England  colonies,  269. 

Waddington,  on  primitive  churches,  126. 

Westminster  confession,  345,  346. 

Whately,  Archbishop,  apostolic  succes- 
sion, 63;  primitive  churches,  126;  "the 
plan  of  the  Apostles,"  128. 

Wine,  gift  of,  to  Cambridge  synod,  239. 

Winer  on  the  ministerial  function,  134, 
135;  on  Sacraments,  205,  207,  218,  225, 
226. 

Wisdom,  denominational,  how  shown, 
361,  362. 

Wiseman,  Cardinal,  on  constitutive  prin- 
ciple, 46,  52. 

Witnesses,  church  can  not  compel,  251, 
252;  protected  by  civil  law,  255,  256; 
should  be  sworn,  248. 

Women,  when  voters,  2.58,  259. 

World,  relation  of  churches  to  the,  341- 
343. 

Worship,  Christian,  194-204;  conception 
of,  202;  description  of  early,  199-201; 
early  liturgies  in,  201;  elements  of,  195; 
ends  of,  life;  essential  to  a  church,  194; 
form  of,  unfixed,  197, 198;  laymen  may 
conduct,  199;  liberty  in,  198;  model  of , 
198;  nature  of,  196,  197;  perversion  of, 
imder  Constantine,  201 ;  perverted  bv 
exaltation  of  preachers,  202;  protected, 
334;  reformation  changed,  201,  202; 
social,  largely,  194, 195;  State  may  con- 
trol, 334;  variety  in,  202-204. 

Worship,  eucharistic  and  expiatory, 
when  begun,  7. 

Worship,  synagogue,  model  of  the  Chris- 
tian, 198, 199. 

Year  books,  and  expelled  ministers,  303, 
304;  ministerial  standing  and,  3ft5. 

Zwingle,  on  nature  of  the  Church,  326. 


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